Mac
by nightwatcher487
Summary: Dozens were brutally slaughtered after he lost control of The Nine Tailed Fox. A few days after the rampage he was relocated to The Hidden Leaf Village. It is here where he swears to achieve his goal of revenge, but as he forges new bonds and makes new enemies he begins to realize that one day he will have to decide between revenge or his new friends.
1. Chapter 1: journey to the leaf

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. however i do own My OC (Mac) as well as any other OC's i come up with during this story.

Kakashi walked slowly behind the trio of young ninja. Sakura, Sasuke, and soon to be the newest addition to team seven Mac. Kakashi observed Mac closely he was the same height as Sasuke, and had a skin tone a shade darker than Sasuke's. His hairstyle was identical to Kakashi's own teacher the fourth hokage. The only difference was that Mac's hair was dark black. His eyes were ocean blue, and he dawned a plain dark blue T-shirt with black shorts that fell past his knees. On his feet he wore standard black ninja sandals. Mac also wore black fingerless gloves. He was carrying a grey backpack on his back which held the few things that he owned. Mac had been forced to leave The Hidden Waterfall Village and was now on his way to his new home in The Hidden Leaf Village. (Who would've guessed that Minato sensei would seal The Nine Tailed Fox, within this kid) Kakashi thought to himself. "So Mac what kind of jutsu do you know?" Sakura questioned as she looked over at Mac. "Water style jutsu and fire style jutsu" Mac replied. (So he possesses two opposite chakra natures.) Kakashi thought to himself.

The four ninja walked in silence as Mac observed his escort. Kakashi was a name he recognized back in The Hidden Waterfall Village people referred to Kakashi of the hidden leaf as the copycat ninja. But Mac had no clue as to why people called him that. Sakura seemed friendly she seemed to take a bit of interest in Mac. He found it a bit strange that a kunoichi would grow her hair so long, since every kunoichi he had ever seen kept their hair short. So that it wouldn't get in the way while they were fighting. Then there was Sasuke who didn't smile nor did he speak to Mac. But Sasuke could have fooled his team mates but he wasn't fooling Mac who could see sorrow and hatred within Sasuke's dark raven eyes. Mac soon came to the realization that Kakashi's squad was missing its third member. "Hey Kakashi?" Mac exclaimed in a questioning tone. Kakashi didn't reply he just watched as the boy turned around to face him. "I thought ninja were split into three man squads but your squad only has two members. Why is that?" Mac questioned.

'Well we did have a third member but she's no longer with us" Kakashi replied. Mac didn't really understand what Kakashi meant by "no longer with us". "So did she go rogue?" Mac questioned. "No, she was killed in action" Sasuke exclaimed. Silence befell the four ninja as a slight breeze whistled past them. Mac looked at Kakashi it became clear to him that he didn't want to talk about what happened to his third student. Mac was no stranger to the pain of losing a comrade. He had lost the only person who accepted him, and didn't see him as the demon fox that was sealed away inside of him. In the incident back at The Hidden Waterfall Village. The four began walking again as the sun began setting behind them. Mac was lost in his thoughts as he walked beside Sakura. He thought about his old home which he referred to as hell on earth. As a kid Mac wasn't treated very well even by the adults. Even though all he wanted was a family like all the other kids in The Hidden Waterfall Village. He was mistreated and treated like an animal by everyone except for his one and only friend Kyomi, who was now dead.

Without Kyomi's help Mac would have never graduated from the ninja academy in The Hidden Waterfall Village. Kyomi was more than just a friend to Mac he was like a brother the one, and only person who he ever trusted. "Hey Mac" Sakura exclaimed snapping Mac back to reality. Mac looked over at the girl to his right. "I was just wondering if you plan to continue training at The Hidden Leaf Village" Sakura exclaimed. "I'm not sure yet but hopefully I can continue my training at least until I become a Jonin" Mac replied. "What are you going to do when you become Jonin?" Sakura questioned. "My plan is to travel the world and become the greatest shinobi this world has ever seen" Mac replied. Sakura smiled to herself as she heard Mac's words. "Well it's nice to have dreams, but words are meaningless unless you pursue your dream until the ends of the earth" Kakashi exclaimed. "I'm willing to travel down any path to achieve my goal" Mac replied as he looked over at Kakashi. "Were almost their" Kakashi exclaimed. Mac walked alongside his escort for a few more hours. As they got closer and closer to The Hidden Leaf Village. "Well I'll see the two of you tomorrow morning at the training field" Kakashi exclaimed. As they entered the village sakura and Sasuke simply nodded and walked away. As Mac and Kakashi Made their way to the hokage's office.


	2. Chapter 2: A new home

"Lord hokage the mission was a success we have returned safely with the boy" Kakashi exclaimed. "Why exactly did I have to be specifically transferred to this village" Mac exclaimed a little irritated. "Mac we will not hide the truth from you, you were specifically brought to the Hidden Leaf Village because you are the jinchuriki of The Nine Tailed Fox, the jinchuriki before you was also brought to our village for protection" The third hokage replied. "Look old man I don't need to be protected from anyone I can take care of myself" Mac replied.

"The choice is yours whether you choose to stay and continue your training as a ninja under our vigilance or you leave" the third hokage replied as he gazed at the young boy in front of him. Mac gave it some thought if he left the Hidden Leaf Village he had nowhere else to go, and he wouldn't be able to fulfill his dream of becoming the greatest shinobi in the world. "Okay old man I'll stay but first I want to know more about this Nine Tailed Fox and what is a jinchuriki" Mac replied. "The Nine Tailed Fox is a demon fox one of nine tailed beast who until one week ago was believed to have been killed in the battle with the fourth hokage fourteen years ago, but it appears the beast was sealed within you jinchuriki are people who have tailed beast inside them" The third hokage replied as he removed his pipe from his mouth and blew out smoke.

(So that explains it this fox he's the one to blame for everything that happened back at The Hidden Waterfall Village) Mac thought to himself. "Since team seven is the only squad with an opening you'll be training with them" The third hokage exclaimed snapping Mac from his thoughts. "That's great and all but where am I going to live?" Mac questioned. "There is a vacant apartment across from the ramen shop you can stay there" The third hokage replied Mac exited the hokage tower and began making his way towards his new home when he realized he didn't know where the ramen shop was. Mac wandered around for a bit the streets were lit by the lights that emanated from the shops lost in thought he didn't realize where he was going and soon collided with someone he fell back and hit the cold hard ground.

Mac stood up and stretched out his hand to help the girl he had bumped into her eyes were pale and she wore a jacket with blue pants her ninja tool pouch was strapped to her right leg, and she wore black ninja sandals. Her hair was short it appeared to be black and purple at the same time. Hinata grabbed mac's hand and he pulled her up then he noticed her head band that hung from her neck. "I..I..I'm sorry" Hinata exclaimed. Mac gazed at the girl in front of him her cheeks turned a bright red "You don't have to apologize I should have watched where I was going so I'm sorry" Mac replied. Hinata didn't reply she wanted to but she couldn't get the words out. "Hey can you point me in the direction of the ramen shop?" Mac asked as he gazed at the girl in front of him. "S….S….Straight ahead" Hinata replied and quickly walked away. (What a strange girl mac thought to himself) as he walked towards the ramen shop" He soon arrived at his new home he turned the door knob and realized the door was unlocked, of course he didn't think much of this since this apartment was vacant.

Mac entered the apartment it had no furniture in it, except for a mattress thrown on the floor. Mac shut and locked the wooden door and laid down on the uncomfortable mattress. His mind traced back to the events that happened a week ago in The Hidden Waterfall Village. After a few minutes Mac sat up his eyes were watery, he rubbed his eyes and stood up. He walked out of the apartment. The night sky was lit by stars and the moonlight lit the village. "I'm sorry kyomi" Mac said under his breath as he looked up at the night sky. Mac's mind drifted to the thoughts of his parents although he never met them he had grown up an orphan. He didn't like to talk about them and let alone think about who they were. Mac felt a tear fall down his right cheek and hit the cold stone ground. Mac slowly turned around and walked back inside the apartment. He laid down again and fell asleep. A few hours passed before Mac awoke. He walked out of his apartment and made his way down the road, the villagers paid him no mind and continued with their daily routines. (Where is the training field?) Mac thought to himself as he continued to walk. "Hey Mac" Sakura called out as she walked up behind him "Oh hey Sakura" Mac replied "Where are you headed?" Sakura questioned "The training field" Mac replied "I'm going to the training field too come on we can meet up with Sasuke and all three of us can walk together to the training field" Sakura replied.

"Okay" Mac replied, Mac and Sakura walked in silence as they looked for Sasuke. When they didn't find Sasuke they walked to the training field. "Good morning Sasuke" Sakura exclaimed as she ran up to Sasuke. "I should have known you would be here" She exclaimed. "Well now that all three of you are here I have an announcement" Kakashi exclaimed as he walked up to his squad "What is it Kakashi sensei?" Sakura Questioned "By order of lord hokage Mac is now part of team seven" Kakashi replied "So he'll be a replacement for her huh?" Sasuke exclaimed. "Yes, which reminds here Mac this is your Hidden Leaf Village headband" Kakashi replied and handed the headband to Mac. Mac observed the headband it dawned the symbol of the Hidden Leaf Village the cloth the metal piece was attached to was black. Mac tied the headband around his forehead and two strands of cloth fell down to the bottom of the back of his neck. "Welcome to Team seven" Kakashi exclaimed "thanks" Mac replied "Well the rest of the day is yours tomorrow we have our first mission as the new team seven" Kakashi replied and vanished. Sasuke began walking away "Hey Sasuke wait up" Sakura exclaimed and ran after Sasuke. Mac looked up at the sky (I swear, with this second chance I will become the greatest Shinobi the world has ever seen) Mac thought to himself and began walking back to the village.


	3. Chapter 3: Day off

Before we get this chapter started I just want to let you know that chapter 2 was edited. (The fight scene between Mac and Kyomi was removed.) The reason for this is I'm changing the real reason why Mac was forced to leave The Hidden Waterfall Village. However Kyomi will still be a part of Mac's past.

As Mac made his way back to the village he thought about his new teammates. Sakura seemed friendly and kind, but Sasuke seemed..well it was hard to think of a way to describe Sasuke since he barely spoke to Mac. The morning breeze blew through Mac's spiky hair as he made his way to the village gate. Mac hesitated for a split second before entering the village. He still couldn't believe this was his new home. Mac walked silently for a few minutes before something caught his eye. "SHUT IT INO PIG!" Sakura yelled almost at the top of her lungs. "There's no point in denying it we both know that's why Sasuke ignores you billboard brow" Ino replied.

Sakura was on the verge of smacking some sense into Ino before she noticed Mac walking by. "Who is that?" Ino asked without even realizing that her thought had escaped her lips. Sakura turned to face Ino who had a puzzled look on face. "That's Mac he just got here yesterday and he's the new member of team 7" Sakura replied. Ino didn't reply to Sakura instead she walked away towards Mac. Sakura was at a loss for words (where does she think she's going) Sakura thought to herself. Mac was making his way towards the Hokage's office he wanted to get a closer look at the huge stone faces that were carved into the rock. "Hey Mac wait up" Ino exclaimed. Mac spun around on the heel of his sandals coming face to face with Ino who came to a sudden stop. Mac was a bit confused he didn't know this girl but she seemed to know him. "Uh do I know you?" Mac asked. "Well not yet I'm Ino, Sakura said you were new to the village so I thought maybe I could show you around a bit" Ino replied

"Okay, well nice to meet you Ino" Mac replied. (Wow he's almost as cute as Sasuke) Ino thought to herself before grabbing Mac's gloved hand and running off. Sakura observed the scene that had just unfolded before her eyes (What is she planning?) Sakura thought to herself. Ino hauled Mac around for a while pointing out the various shops then she stopped in front of her parents flower shop "This is my parents flower shop I usually run the register so if I'm not around the village you can usually find me working here" She exclaimed. Mac observed the shop he knew nothing about flowers but there was a sweet aroma coming from inside the shop that he guessed was coming from the various flowers, inside the shop. Ino turned her head to face Mac his blue eyes locked onto the shop "Mac?" she exclaimed with a questioning tone. Mac jerked his head to face her his blue eyes met with hers. "Hey Ino the stone faces carved into the rock above the Hokage's office what do they symbolize?" Mac questioned. "Oh those are the faces of the previous hokage's including our current Hokage" Ino replied. Mac felt Ino grab his hand and they were off again.

"Hey Mac what clan are you from?" Ino questioned. Mac didn't answer her it wasn't that he didn't want to it was the fact that he had no idea what his last name was. "I actually don't know back at The Hidden Waterfall Village everyone just called me Mac" Mac replied. "What about your parents what was their last name?" Ino asked. "I never got the chance to meet them I grew up an orphan" Mac replied. Ino's eyes softened as she heard this. Mac felt a lump in his throat and swallowed hard. "So are there any other places you want to show me?" Mac asked it was clear to Ino he wanted to change the subject. "Yea follow me" She replied. Mac followed Ino as she led him through the village she led him down to the village hot springs. "These are the Hidden Leaf hot springs there is a section for boys and a section for girls, and by the way try not get caught peeking" She said in a playful tone trying to lighten up the sudden serious mood between them. Mac was at a loss for words as he heard this. "Relax Mac I'm just kidding" She exclaimed and chuckled a bit. "Ino" a voice called out from behind them. Ino looked over Mac's shoulder to see shikamaru standing there.

Mac turned around as Ino walked up to Shikamaru. "Asuma sensei is looking for you" He exclaimed. "Okay and by the way Shikamaru this is Mac" Ino replied. The two boys simply said hi to the other and Mac watched as shikamaru and Ino walked away. Mac looked up the sun was starting to set. So he started walking back towards his apartment. Mac thought about Ino's question about his parents. (Whoever they were they obviously didn't care enough about me to be there for me) Mac thought to himself. As he got closer to his apartment rain clouds covered the sky and rain began pouring down on him. Mac ran the rest of the way to his apartment. By the time he got home he was drenched in rain water. He pushed open his door and walked in, after shutting and locking his door he threw himself onto his uncomfortable mattress. He was too tired to go and shower and today was a strange day. Mac quickly fell asleep. A growling sound filled his ears causing mac to wake up. His blue eyes snapped open and he realized he was laying down in a dark room that was slightly filled with water. He stood up as the growling sound grew louder. (Where am I?) Mac thought to himself.


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting The Fox

Before we start this chapter I just want to let you know that it was intentionally written short the next chapter will be a lot longer than previous ones.

As Mac turned around the growling grew even louder. His blue eyes were met with huge red ones that were behind a gate. Although Mac couldn't see the face the eyes belonged to he had an idea of who was behind the sealed gate. For a moment there was silence between Mac and The Nine Tailed Fox. "So you're the Nine Tailed Fox?" Mac exclaimed. The Nine Tailed Fox growled and stared Mac "Choose your words carefully when you speak to me boy" the beast replied his voice was rough and demonic. Mac's eyes widened as The Nine Tailed Fox got closer the cage revealing his face to the boy. The beast had sharp white fangs with saliva that dripped from the tips. The beast had blood red eyes with pure black slashes for pupils. His furry ears were pointed back as he continued to growl. "You're the one to blame for what happened to Kyomi and the villagers." Mac exclaimed. The beast launched his claws toward Mac through the openings in between the bars of the gate. Mac fell back in shock causing water splash up. "Humans always blame others for their own wrong doing" The Nine Tailed Fox replied.

"If you want revenge for your pathetic friend then break this seal" The Nine Tailed Fox exclaimed. Mac picked himself up and turned to face the demonic fox "If I break that seal then you'll be free and I won't let you hurt anyone in The Hidden Leaf Village" Mac replied The Nine Tailed Fox laughed as he heard Mac's words his demonic laughter filled the room and rang in Mac's ears. "Do you honestly believe these people view you as one of them they view you just like they view me a mindless beast, a demon, and that will never change as long as I am a part of you" The Nine Tailed Fox replied. Mac didn't reply to the demon fox behind the gate their eyes locked with one another. "I've been sealed within you for thirteen years and just by looking into your eyes for the first time in all those years, I can see you to have a strong hatred towards other humans" The Nine Tailed Fox Exclaimed. Mac remained silent although he could deny it until the day of his death, what the Nine Tails said was in fact true. Mac's hatred for others grew slowly over the years that he was excluded and treated like dirt by everyone in The Hidden Waterfall Village.

It was for these reasons that Mac promised himself he would one day be the greatest shinobi the world had ever seen. So that one day he could exact revenge on those who out casted him and treated him as though he were the demon he had sealed within him. Through the years Mac had also developed extreme trust issues, since he believed that everyone was out to hurt him. His trust issues towards others only grew larger when his one and only friend Kyomi betrayed their village and tried to kill him. "You may fool the humans with your fake smile and by acting as though nothing is wrong but you can't fool me boy your eyes are filled with hatred' The Nine Tailed Fox exclaimed. Again Mac didn't say a word it was as though his lips had been sewed together. Mac balled up his fist as he stared back at the fox "You know absolutely nothing about me so don't talk to me as though you do" Mac exclaimed breaking his silence. "I couldn't care less about you boy. If it were up to me I would have never lent you my chakra in your fight with Kyomi I would have let him kill you, but unfortunately if you die I die" The Nine Tailed Fox Replied. Mac dug his finger nails into his palms ripping through his gloves and causing blood to drip into the water that filled the room slightly. Then everything started to fade the demon fox moved away from the bars of the gate and into the darkness. Before Mac knew it he was sitting up on his mattress with bloody palms. That quickly healed because of The Nine Tailed Fox.


	5. Chapter 5: The escort mission

Hey guys/girls I just wanted to let you know two things before we start. Number one: I made a few changes to chapter one, and number two: since I forgot to mention this in chapter one for this story I am using the first gen Naruto characters or the original series characters. The only thing I changed about these characters is their ages. With that said let's get this chapter started.

Mac got up from his mattress and exited his apartment The Nine Tailed Fox was on his mind. The fox's words rang in his head over and over as he walked. (What does some demon fox know anyway?) Mac thought to himself. (He may be a part of me but he has no idea what I've been through or how I've been treated all my life) Mac thought aloud. "You know talking to yourself isn't healthy, Mac" Sakura exclaimed in a playful tone. Mac didn't reply to Sakura who was now walking beside him. "So where are you headed this early in the morning" Sakura asked. "The training field, I figured I could get some practice in before our mission later today" Mac replied. "Oh, so what kind of mission do you think were going on?" Sakura questioned. "I'm not sure, but hopefully it's not something to easy" Mac replied. Sakura smiled as she looked over at Mac, there was something different about him that separated him from everyone else.

The pair soon arrived at the training field. No one was their except for Sasuke who was throwing kunai knives at a tree trunk. "Good Morning Sasuke!" Sakura called out as she ran up to Sasuke and hugged him from behind. Sasuke didn't say anything as he escaped Sakura's hold on him. "Did Kakashi tell you what are mission is going to be?" Mac asked as he walked up to Sasuke. "No but knowing Kakashi we have about two maybe three hours before he shows up" Sasuke replied. The three of them sat down on the grass, a few minutes of silence passed. The silence that had befallen the training field was broken by a familiar voice "Well it looks like you're all here" Kakashi exclaimed as he approached the young shinobi. "It's the first time you've ever showed up early sensei" Sakura exclaimed a bit surprised. "Well I wouldn't want to be late for our first mission as the new team seven" Kakashi replied. "So what exactly is our mission?" Mac questioned. "A simple escort from here to The Hidden Sand Village" Kakashi replied.

"Okay, when do we leave?" Sasuke asked as he got up from the grass. "Were meeting the client at the village entrance in ten minutes so go get ready" Kakashi replied and vanished into a puff of white smoke. Sasuke walked away with Sakura close behind leaving Mac alone with only his thoughts to keep him company. Mac took a deep breath and started walking towards his apartment. Upon arriving at his apartment Mac pushed open the door, and grabbed the backpack that was sitting beside the door frame. Mac shut his front door and began walking towards the village entrance. Prior to the mission he was about to embark on Mac had barely any mission experience since his squad back The Hidden Waterfall Village was barely ever assigned a mission. Mac gritted his teeth and balled up his fist as he thought about The Hidden Waterfall Village. (One day all those bastards are going to pay for the way they treated me) Mac thought to himself. Before he knew he had arrived at the village entrance where Kakashi and the others were waiting for him. The client was a girl with dark hair that fell past her shoulders. She wore a long sleeved shirt with the symbol of The Hidden Sand drawn on it, and long black pants that fell over her blue ninja sandals. Her headband hung from her neck and her dark raven eyes looked down on Mac as he observed her she appeared to be young around the age of eighteen, and her skintone was similar to Sakura's. "So were escorting a Hidden Sand Village Kunoichi?" Mac asked. "Yes this is Terra" Kakashi replied as he jerked his head to the right to face the kunoichi.

Terra observed Kakashi and his team "So three kids and a jonin are my escort?" she exclaimed in a questioning tone. "Yes, now let's get going shall we" Kakashi replied and began walking. Mac and the others followed close behind their sensei. Along with Terra who walked slowly with her hands in the pockets of her pants. "Kakashi sensei?" Mac exclaimed. Kakashi looked over his shoulder his visible eye met with Mac's blue eyes. "Something wrong?" Kakashi questioned. "I was just wondering how long it will take to get to The Hidden Sand Village" Mac replied. "It'll take a whole week just to get there and another week to return to the Hidden Leaf" Kakashi replied. Mac took a deep breath and looked over at Sakura was scribbling something into a small white book that she quickly stuffed into her backpack when she realized Mac was looking at her. Mac simply gave her a puzzled look and looked away. A Few hours passed before rain clouds blocked out the sun light and the cold rain water began pouring down. (Well that's just great) Mac thought to himself. He looked at Kakashi expecting him to instruct them to take a break while the rain cleared up. But Kakashi didn't say a word he just kept walking as the rain drenched everyone. The full moon lit the forest as the five ninja walked slowly. After a few more moments of silence Terra spun around quickly with a kunai Knife in her hand and deflected the ninja stars that had been thrown at her. "Assassins" She exclaimed. As a group of Men with scars all over their arms and strange animal mask covering their faces emerged from behind the trees. They all wore sleeveless black shirts with dark grey pants that fell just above their black ninja sandals.

"Anbu black ops?" Kakashi exclaimed as he gazed over at the five men who stood a few feet away from him. "They're definitely not from The Hidden Sand" Terra exclaimed. "And I've never seen any Hidden Leaf anbu black ops wear those mask before" Kakashi replied. (This is bad if these guys are anbu black ops from a different village. Neither Sasuke, Sakura or Mac will stand a chance against them) Kakashi thought to himself. "The three of you listen to my words carefully, these aren't your ordinary Ninja. They've been trained to kill anyone no matter how old or young the victim is. I want the three of you to get as far away from here as possible." Kakashi exclaimed. "But Kakashi sensei there's five of them you and Terra can't beat the on your own" Mac exclaimed. "Don't argue just GO!" Kakashi exclaimed. Just then one of the men began preforming hand signs. "Water Style water Vortex Jutsu" a huge wave of water appeared in front of him and quickly launched towards the ninja. All five of them were engulfed in the wave and smashed through several trees. When the water diminished only Kakashi and Terra remained the five men could see Mac, Sasuke, and Sakura leaping from branch to branch in the distance. "You three go after them" the man in the middle exclaimed pointing to three of the other men.

The three men Vanished before Kakashi or Terra could react, and only two of them remained one wearing a white cat mask while the other wore a white fox mask. The four of them charged at each other. Kakashi caught the man in the fox mask fist and jumped up kicking the man in the jaw. "Fire Style Fire Ball Jutsu" Kakashi preformed his hand signs quickly and launched the burning ball towards the man who vanished and reappeared behind him. "Ninja art lightning whip" A whip formed in the man's right hand which he used to slash Kakashi's back forcing his body to slam into a tree. "Kakashi focus worry about the task at hand they'll be fine" Terra exclaimed as she jumped back to avoid having her stomach slit open by the man in the cat mask sword. Kakashi picked himself up from the ground. "Alright" He exclaimed as pulled his headband up revealing his sharingan eye. "Bring it on" while Kakashi sounded as though he were focused on the battle his mind was still thinking about his three students. (Please be careful you three) he thought to himself.


	6. Chapter 6: Water Vs Earth

Hey guys/girls before we get this chapter started I just wanted to let you know that I completely rewrote chapter one. The reason for this being I felt that it wasn't as good as the chapters that came after it. Anyways with that said let's get this chapter started. (This chapter contains the first fight scene ever, they will get better as the story progresses)

Mac leaped from branch to branch as fast as he could, with the man in the white dog mask close behind. Mac and the others decided that they wouldn't be able to take down these anbu black ops ninja as long as they were together. So the plan was to split them up and take them down one by one. "What's wrong boy, are you to scared to face me" the man chasing Mac exclaimed. Mac leaped from the thick branch and spun around mid-air "Water Style Raging Water" Mac took a deep breath and launched a powerful blast of water from his mouth. The blast caught the man off guard and sent him crashing into the tree behind him. The man quickly got up from the ground and watched as Mac jumped down from the branch he was standing on. The two ninja charged towards each other they traded blow after blow first their first met, and then their sandals met as they tried to kick each other. They both slid a few feet back from the impact.

Mac pulled out a kunai knife and charged towards the man who dodged with ease. Mac slashed left and right but it was ultimately to no avail. The man quickly took hold of Mac's arm and twisted it until he heard a snapping sound. Mac screamed out in pain as he fell to his Knees. The man kicked Mac's face causing him to fall back onto the dirt. Mac rolled out of the way as he saw the man jump up and toss a shuriken towards him. Mac slowly picked himself up the pain in his arm was unbearable but he had no choice but to continue the fight it was kill or be killed. Mac looked over at the man (Without my arm I can't perform any Hand signs so that means no jutsu) he thought to himself. Mac reached into the pouch strapped onto his right leg and pulled out a shuriken which was folded into a single blade, but opened up as Mac stretched out his arm. Mac charged towards the man (If I can't use my arm the ill just have to make sure he can't use his either) Mac thought to himself as he ran. The man jumped up as Mac tossed his shuriken towards. The shuriken skimmed the bottom of his sandals. The shuriken then stabbed into a tree a few feet away. "Earth Style Rock Fist" the man's fist turned into two dark grey stone hands and grew three times their normal size.

The man quickly ran towards Mac preventing him from getting his shuriken. The man pummeled Mac with all his might blood flew up into the air, as Mac stumbled back with each blow he received. Finally the man punched Mac's face dropping him to the ground unconscious. "I expected more from a Hidden Leaf shinobi" the man exclaimed. A few minutes passed before Mac awoke to two red eyes glaring down on him. The Nine Tailed Fox growled as Mac stood up. "Listen up fox I couldn't care less if you like me or not, but if you don't lend me your chakra were both going to die" Mac exclaimed. The Nine Tailed Fox just glared at Mac "Insolent little brat this is the last time I will ever help you" The Nine Tailed Fox Replied. Before Mac knew it he was standing up glaring at the member of the anbu black ops. The man looked over his shoulder as he heard the sound of footsteps. What he saw scarred him for life. Mac was surrounded by an ominous red chakra aura, his eyes were blood red. His pupils became a single slash. The border of his eyes and lips became dark black.

Mac charged towards the man. "Earth Style Rock Wall" a thick chunk of the ground quickly rose up separating the man from Mac. Who continued charging forward and smashed the rock wall to bits. The man jumped up onto a branch trying his best to avoid Mac. "Earth Style Earth Splitter" The ground beneath Mac's feet split open creating a dark trench that was at least eight feet wide. Mac fell down into the trench as lightning flashed and rain continued to pour down. The man jumped down from the branch and looked down into the trench. "That was to close I had heard rumors that The Nine Tailed Fox was alive, but I never thought that I would have to face its jinchuriki" the man exclaimed. A few feet away on the other side of the trench was a spectator to the battle. "So the stories were true The Nine Tailed Fox is alive, while the boy is no uchiha his eyes bare more hatred then Itachi and his younger brother Sasuke" the man with extremely pale skin and long black hair exclaimed.

The anbu black ops member looked away from the trench which was now filling with rain water. (I almost feel bad for the kid. I guess the Hidden Leaf will have to add another name to their K.I.A. list) the man thought to himself. Just then the sound of heavy breathing filled the man's ears. He quickly spun around only to be greeted by two red eyes that hungered for blood. Mac grabbed the man by his throat and sunk his sharp finger nails deep into his throat. Blood squirted out onto Mac's face who tossed the man into the trench. Mac proceeded to throw a kunai with a paper bomb attached to it down into the trench. The explosion slightly shook the ground as chunks of rocks from the inner walls of the trench began falling down. Mac looked across the trench for a second he thought he felt the presence of another chakra. his eyes returned to their normal shade of blue his lips returned to their normal color along with his finger nails that returned to their normal round shape. A scream echoed through the air and rang in Mac's ears. "Sakura!" he exclaimed and began running towards the source of the sound.


	7. Chapter 7: Return to the leaf

Mac ran in the direction where the scream had emanated. His heart raced as he felt the wind blow in his face along with the excessive pain of his broken right arm. (Please be alive Sakura) Mac thought to himself as he continued to run. Upon arriving at Sakura's location he noticed she was lying face first on the ground. Her arms and legs were covered in bruises and cuts. Mac knelt down beside Sakura and rolled her onto her back. Sakura let out a slight groan and opened her eyes. "Mac?" She exclaimed in a questioning tone. Her lip was busted open and she had bruises on her face as well. "Come on Sakura we have to regroup with Kakashi" Mac replied. Sakura sat up as Mac stood up and extended his left hand to help her up. Sakura took a hold of Mac's hand and he quickly pulled her up. "Can you walk?" Mac questioned. "I think so" Sakura replied as she took a step and nearly fell face first to the ground. Mac quickly grabbed her left arm preventing her from falling. Mac put Sakura's left arm around his neck and held it there. The two began walking slowly towards the area where they left Kakashi and Terra. Sakura took notice of Mac's right arm which appeared to be broken in half. (That has to be extremely painful) Sakura thought to herself.

Mac noticed Sakura staring at his right arm "Don't worry Sakura I'll be okay plus it doesn't even hurt" he exclaimed. Even though he was in a lot of pain Mac put on his best fake smile as he spoke. The pair continued to walk the cold rain water poured down on them washing the blood off of their bodies. Mac and Sakura slowly made their way through the forest until they both caught sight of Sasuke who holding his right arm tightly. Blood dripped from between his fingers. Sasuke's face was bruised along with his arms. Sakura smiled softly she was relieved to see that Sasuke was alive. Sasuke looked up as his team mates as they approached him. "Now that the three of us are together again we should head back to Kakashi and Terra" Mac exclaimed. Sasuke simply nodded and the three began walking slowly Mac looked over at Sasuke "How are you holding up?" He asked. "It's just a stab wound I'll live but what about you by the looks of it your arm is broken" Sasuke replied. "I'll be okay" Mac replied.

The three walked in silence the rest of the way to their sensei. Upon arriving at Kakashi's location they saw two bodies on the ground. Kakashi and Terra rushed over to the three of them. Although he didn't say it Kakashi was glad to see that his three students managed to hold off the anbu black ops ninja. Mac helped Sakura sit down with her back up against a tree. "Mac and Sakura are in pretty bad shape they'll only slow us down if we continue this mission" Kakashi exclaimed as he looked over at Terra. Who seemed to be more concerned with the identity of the men who tried to kill her. She knelt down by one of the anbu black ops ninja. She placed her hand on the mask prepared to take it off. But just then the man slashed his kunai knife across Terra's throat. Lightning flashed and everything seemed to slow down as Terra placed her hands on her throat. In an attempt to stop the waterfall of blood Kakashi rushed over to the man with the lightning blade. Kakashi pierced the man's heart who was preparing to jump up and continue the battle. Blood splattered onto his face, and onto Sasuke who was standing just a few feet away. Terra toppled over as pool of blood formed around her. Sakura couldn't take her eyes off of the gruesome sight, Mac observed the scene that had just unfolded before his eyes.

He had seen people die before, he had killed before but he had never seen an enemy take the life of a comrade before. "Come on you three shouldn't have to see this kind of thing" Kakashi exclaimed. Sasuke turned around as Mac helped Sakura get up. It didn't matter if Kakashi didn't want his team to see a comrade's corpse. Just a few months ago they had lost their third member to Zabuza of the hidden mist. Of course Kakashi acted out of rage, and took the life of Zabuza. They walked in silence the only sound heard was the sound of the pouring rain. Sakura and Mac were a few feet behind Kakashi and Sasuke who were walking ahead of them. Sakura looked over at Mac who had her arm around the back of his neck. "I can't believe we just left her body there" Sakura exclaimed in a soft and sad tone. Mac looked at her for a quick minute before he said anything. "Shinobi aren't allowed to show emotions no matter what happens" Mac replied. "You don't honestly believe that do you Mac?" Sakura questioned. "If I were being completely honest I'm not sure what I believe anymore" Mac replied. Sakura remained silent Mac's voice shook a little when he spoke that last sentence.

Mac looked up at the sky the rain was letting up, and the night sky was becoming clear revealing the full moon. The four ninja walked in silence for the rest of the night. Each of them had something on their mind. By the time they reached the village gate the sun was shining brightly in the sky. "The three of you can go down to the hospital and get patched up I have to file a report on our mission" Kakashi exclaimed and walked away. Mac and the others went to the hospital where they were treated for their wounds, and injuries. Mac sat up on the hospital bed his right arm had been placed in a cast. On the bed to his left was Sasuke and on the bed to his right was Sakura along with her mom who was treating her as though she were a baby. (CHA! Stop treating me like a baby I'm a ninja now) Sakura thought to herself.

Mac looked over at Sakura and her mom he was slightly jealous that she had a mom to come to her aid when she was injured. (I wish I could see her face at least once) Mac thought to himself. A tear rolled down the side of his cheek as he thought about his own mom. He quickly wiped the tear away and lay on his back staring up at the ceiling he let his mind drift through the possibilities of his mother's appearance. Although he didn't like thinking of either of his parents because he felt as though they didn't care enough about him to be there for him. For some reason he couldn't stop thinking of his mother. Soon his eyes shut and he fell asleep. Mac awoke a few hours later he sat up on his bed the pain in his right arm was gone, and so was Sasuke. Sakura was sound asleep in her bed, their room door slid open and in stepped Kakashi. Who didn't look at Mac as he spoke instead he stared at the ground. "Mac when you get out of here lord hokage would like to see you" He exclaimed. With that said Kakashi left Mac alone with only his thoughts to keep him company. (What could the hokage want with me?) Mac thought to himself.


	8. Chapter 8: Meeting the snake

Mac got up from the hospital bed and slipped on his sandals. He exited the room and shut door slowly so he wouldn't wake Sakura up. (No doubt this is about what happened during our mission) Mac thought to himself. As images of him sinking his sharp nails into the man's throat flashed in his mind. Mac exited the hospital and began making his way towards the Hokage's office. The Hokage sat quietly in his office looking down at the village through the window when he heard the door creak open. "Kakashi said you wanted to see me" Mac exclaimed as he stepped in. "Yes Mac we need to discuss the seal which holds the Nine Tailed Fox inside of you" The Third Hokage replied. "What about the seal?" Mac questioned. The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe and blew out smoke. "Mac with each passing day the seal is weakening and with the incident that occurred during your escort mission, and the incident in The Hidden Waterfall Village. Well incidents like those only weaken the seal faster" The Hokage exclaimed. Mac gazed at the old man a few away from him. "So what am I supposed to do about the seal weakening" Mac replied.

"There isn't much you can do but you have to try your best to keep the fox's chakra suppressed." The Third Hokage replied. "So you want me to keep his chakra suppressed, and pretend to be normal like there isn't a huge demon fox inside me that would like to rip my head off my shoulders." Mac replied. The hokage simply gazed back at Mac without saying a word. "Mac I realize being a jinchuriki is not an easy thing, but by suppressing the Fox's chakra you can decrease the chances of another incident. As well as decrease the chances of being attacked or hunted down because of what you have inside of you" The Hokage exclaimed. Mac stared at the Hokage for a few long seconds and took a deep breath before he spoke. "Ok but how do I suppress his chakra?" Mac questioned. "You'll have to figure that out on your own" The Hokage replied. Mac was completely confused by the Hokage's words but he just gave him a slight knod and exited his office. He walked through the village thinking of ways he could suppress The Nine Tails chakra before he heard a familiar voice behind him "Hey Mac" Ino exclaimed. Mac turned around to see the blonde girl walking towards him with a playful smile. "Hey Ino" Mac replied.

"What happened to your arm" Ino exclaimed. "We ran into a little trouble on our mission" Mac replied. "Is Sasuke ok?" Ino questioned. "I think so when I woke up earlier he was gone" Mac replied. Ino let out a relieved sigh and continued to walk beside Mac. Mac and Ino strolled through the village for a few minutes before they spotted Sasuke, and Ino ran off after him. Leaving Mac alone once again. Mac walked towards the training field and sat down in the grass there was no one there but for some unexplained reason he felt that he was being watched. Mac laid down on the grass for a while listening to the wind and the sound of his own heartbeat. About an hour of complete silence passed before Mac heard a branch snap in the distance. His eyes shot wide open as he sat up and looked around. There was still no one in sight. Again there was a few more minutes of silence before Mac saw a man with long black hair, extremely pale skin and snake green eyes approaching him. Mac quickly stood up as he the man continued to approach him. For a split second the two locked eyes, for the first time in his entire life Mac felt fear overtake him. He wanted to turn around and get away from this man. He wanted to scream but he found himself unable to move fear had taken full control of him and rendered his legs useless. "Who are you?" Mac questioned his voice trembled a bit. "There's no need to be afraid my name is Orochimaru, and I'm simply here to offer you something this village can't" Orochimaru replied.

"You want to make me an offer?" Mac blurted out in a questioning tone. "Yes I can grant you the power to achieve all of your goals and in return you pledge your loyalty to me" Orochimaru replied as he licked his lips. Mac's eyes widened as he heard Orochimaru's words. If he accepted the offer he could exact his revenge he could achieve his goal of becoming the greatest. All he had to do was pledge his loyalty to this guy. Now that he thought about it this was crazy pledging loyalty to someone he didn't know. "I'm not pledging loyalty to anyone. I can achieve my goals on my own" Mac exclaimed in a firm tone all his fear was gone ,and was slowly replaced with anger as he remembered all those who had hurt him in the past. Orochimaru licked his lips as he saw Mac's eyes turn red and his pupils become a single slash. "Im afraid you don't have a choice" Orochimaru exclaimed as he placed both his hands against each other. Mac found himself unable to move his body at all. Orichimaru gazed at Mac who struggled to try and get away from him. Then it happened Orochimaru's neck extended from his body and he sunk his teeth into Mac's neck. The cursed seal of heaven formed just below the bite. Blood dripped from Orochimaru's fangs who smiled and licked the blood off of his teeth. "As long as you bare the curse mark you'll seek my power Mac" Orochimaru exclaimed and began laughing. Mac felt the burning sensation on his neck, he placed his hand on the mark. His eyes began closing as he struggled to stay conscious but soon he fell face first onto the grass.


	9. Chapter 9: The chunin exams

The cool night's breeze blew through Mac's spiky hair as he sat up. He was greeted by Orochimaru's creepy smiling face. Mac fell back in shock, but Orochimaru just sat there staring into his soul with his ice cold eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?" Mac questioned in anger. "I just wanted to see if you would survive the curse mark" Orochimaru replied. Mac clenched the bottom left side of his neck as he watched Orochimaru stand up. "I have one final offer for you" Orochimaru exclaimed as he extended his hand to help Mac up. Mac sat there in silence for a minute before swatting Orochimaru's hand away, and standing up on his own. "I already told you I have no plans of pledging my loyalty to anyone so go to hell" Mac exclaimed. Orochimaru smirked as he heard Mac's words "If you join me not only will you gain immense power but I can take you to your mother." Mac's eyes widened as he heard Orochimaru's words. The wind whistled past them as they locked eyes. "Both my parents are dead that's why I grew up an orphan so take your lies, and rot in the deepest bowls of hell you bastard" Mac exclaimed. "Are they really dead? Or is that what you were told as a child?" Orochimaru replied in a questioning tone. Mac turned around ready to leave but before he could take a step Orochimaru placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Just remember one thing, everyone is going to treat you like a human but the next time you speak to them. Don't look at their lips look into their eyes so you can see for yourself that they despise you" Orochimaru exclaimed. Mac looked over his shoulder out of the corner of his eye he could see Orochimaru's smirk was gone he was dead serious now. "You have six months to decide whether or not you will join me" Orochimaru exclaimed and vanished leaving nothing but a puff of white smoke behind. Mac stood there for a minute letting everything that just happened sink in. he removed his headband and stared at it as he walked. (Could it be true, do they really despise me) Mac thought to himself. Everyone's smiling faces flashed through his mind. Soon he arrived at his front door Mac hesitated before entering he threw himself face first onto his mattress. (Mom are you really out there?) Mac thought to himself before he drifted off into a deep slumber. That night Mac dreamt of his mother she had long raven colored hair that fell down to the end of her back. Her skin was milk white and she dawned a long white sleeveless dress, but she had no face. The sun's rays peered through the cracks of the wooden door. The rays shined upon Mac's eyelids causing him to wake up.

Mac sat up with tears in his eyes, as he blinked they streamed down his cheeks. He wiped his tears away and exited his apartment. Across the street were two ninja he had never seen before along with the strange girl he met the first night he was in the village. Hinata glanced at Mac as she entered the ramen shop with the other two ninja. "Hey Mac!" Sakura called out as she approached him. "Hey Sakura" Mac replied as looked over at the pink haired kunoichi. "Kakashi sensei wants us to gather at the training field for an announcement" Sakura exclaimed. "Ok then let's go" Mac replied and started walking with Sakura to the training field. Kakashi and Sasuke were already at the training field when Mac and Sakura arrived. "Now that you're all here, we have to talk" Kakashi exclaimed. "About?" Sasuke exclaimed. "Starting tomorrow the Chunin exams will begin and I've nominated the three of you to participate" Kakashi replied. "The Chunin exams?" Mac questioned. "Yes, this is your chance to rank up from genin to chunin" Kakashi replied with a smile. "So if the exama start tomorrow that doesn't give us a lot of tim to prepare" Sasuke exclaimed. "No it doesn't but I know the three of you can make it" Kakashi replied. Mac placed his hand on the curse mark. "Kakashi Sensei?" He exclaimed in a questioning tone. Kakashi down at Mac "Something wrong?" Kakashi questioned. "Can we talk later?" Mac asked. Kakashi didn't like the tone of Mac's voice he sounded worried and a bit afraid. "Sure thing" Kakashi replied.

Kakashi explained the Chunin exams to his students and then they were off. Sakura and Sasuke walked away but Mac remained there in silence. "What did you want to talk about Mac?" Kakashi questioned. "Well, yesterday I met a man who called himself Orochimaru, and well he gave me this" Mac exclaimed as he showed Kakashi the cursed seal of heaven. "I see, Mac what did Orochimaru say to you?" Kakashi questioned. "He offered me a chance to join him?" Mac replied. "Hmm, I'll inform lord hokage about this in the meantime don't tell anyone about that mark" Kakashi exclaimed and vanished. Mac walked back to the village slowly, as he arrived he noticed several ninja from different nations. (They must be here for the Chunin exams) Mac thought to himself. Mac observed several of the ninja before walking away. Orochimaru's words rung in his head over and over, (What if he wasn't lying what if my mom is actually out there) Mac thought to himself. The rest of the day went by quickly Mac spent it laying down on his mattress debating whether or not Orochimaru was saying the truth. Soon the moon was high in the sky and Mac was fast asleep. The next day was the first day of the Chunin exams and all the ninja were to gather at the academy.

On his way to the academy Mac ran into his team mates and the three of them walked together. The academy was filled with genin from the leaf and other nations. Mac looked around in amazement he had never seen so many ninja gather in one spot before. "The exams are going to start soon" Sasuke exclaimed as he leaned his back up against a wall. "So are we going to fight all of these guys?" Mac questioned. "No not all of them will make it to the finals" Kakashi exclaimed as he walked up to his squad. Mac turned around along with Sakura to face his sensei. "What do you mean not all of them will make it to the finals?" Sakura questioned. "Only about nine of you will make it to the finals" Kakashi replied. "So only three squads will make it huh?" Sasuke exclaimed. "That's right so do your best and good luck" Kakashi exclaimed and vanished. "So do you guys think we'll make it to the finals?" Sakura questioned. "Of course we will Sakura you just got to have confidence" Mac replied. "By the way Mac make sure you make it to the finals because your one of the people I want to fight most" Sasuke exclaimed. Mac smirked as he looked over at Sasuke. "The same goes for you" Sasuke smirked as he heard Mac's words.


	10. Chapter 10 The forest of death

The Chunin exams were off to a rough start as the first part was literally an exam with impossible to answer questions. The proctor for this part of the exam was Ibiki who watched them like a hawk along with four other proctors who were seated around the room. Mac watched as entire squads were disqualified for cheating more than five times. Which at first the rule of cheating more than five times was strange, but Mac soon caught on that the exam was rigged so that you had to cheat without getting caught. By the time the final question was written on the board only six squads remained. It turned out that there was no tenth question and the exam didn't matter at all, because those who made it to the tenth question automatically passed. Ibiki instructed the eighteen genin to make their way to the forty fourth training ground. As they all exited the class a group of genin from The Hidden Sand Village caught Mac's eye. Terra's face flashed in his mind as he observed them. (I wish I could've prevented what happened to her) Mac thought to himself. He held his right arm as he walked, his cast had broken off when he fell face first after Orochimaru gave him the curse mark. "Hey Mac is something wrong?" Sakura questioned as she looked over her shoulder. "No, I was just thinking about what the next part of the exam will be like" Mac replied. "Don't worry Mac it's just like you and Sasuke said we'll make it to the finals and all three of us will become chunin" Sakura exclaimed and gave Mac a reassuring smile.

(When it does come down to the finals I'm finally going to see what Mac is capable of) Sasuke thought to himself. It didn't take long for team seven to arrive at the forty fourth training grounds along with all the other genin. "Ok listen up because I'm only going to explain this once" Anko exclaimed. Silence befell everyone as they perked up their ears to listen to their proctor. "Each squad will receive either an earth scroll or a heaven scroll. The goal to of this part of the exam is to obtain one heaven scroll and one earth scroll and make it to the tower located in the center of the forest of death, of course you'll have to do this within the time limit" Anko exclaimed. With that said she handed each squad a scroll and sent them into the forest of death. Team seven were the last to enter the forest of death, it was strangely quiet considering the fact that there were fifteen other genin running around in here. "So since we have an earth scroll were going to need a heaven scroll" Sakura exclaimed as she held the scroll in her hands. "That's easier said than done" Mac exclaimed. (If we split up we could cover more ground and find a heaven scroll faster but, Sakura isn't such a great kunoichi and all three of us have to make it to the tower. If she comes with me she'll only slow me down so she'll have to go with Mac) Sasuke thought to himself. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" Mac questioned as he looked over at Sasuke. "If you're thinking about splitting up then yes" Sasuke replied. "We can regroup at the center tower in a few hours" Mac replied and turned around ready to set out on his own, but before he could leave Sasuke took off on his own leaving Mac with Sakura.

Mac took a deep breath and turned around only to be greeted by Sakura's confused face. "Come on Sakura we don't have time to waste" Mac exclaimed and leaped up onto the nearest tree branch. Sakura hesitated for a minute and then followed Mac. Although she didn't say it, Mac could tell Sakura would have preferred to go with Sasuke. After about a half hour of leaping from tree branches in complete silence Mac came to a sudden stop. "What's wrong?" Sakura questioned. Mac didn't reply he was staring down at something but Sakura couldn't see what it was. So she decided to jump down from her branch which gave away their position, Mac jumped down and followed Sakura closely. Sakura froze in place as her eyes locked with cold eyes of a severed head. "He must be from The Hidden Grass Village" Mac exclaimed as he approached the mutilated body. "How can you tell?" Sakura questioned her voice trembled with hints of fear. "By the symbol on his headband" Mac replied. "I see you've stumbled upon my mess" Orochimaru exclaimed as he stepped out from behind the trees. "What the hell do you want now?" Mac questioned as he stood up. Orochimaru chuckled as he looked at Mac and Sakura. As he locked eyes with Orochimaru, Mac realized he had seen those green eyes before. He was almost certain he had seen those eyes somewhere when he was a kid. Orochimaru's chuckle soon turned into a demonic laugh. That sent chills throughout Mac's entire body. "Sakura, get out of here" Mac exclaimed. "What, I'm not going to leave you here alone" Sakura replied in a shaking voice. Suddenly Orochimaru dashed forward, Mac reacted without thought and jumped in the way of Orochimaru's sword.

Everything seemed to slow down as Mac looked down at the sword that pierced his stomach. A waterfall of blood escaped his mouth as he tried to tell Sakura to run. Sakura's eyes widened with fear as she saw Mac's eyes close and his body hunch over. Orochimaru slowly pulled out his sword and let Mac's body hit the ground. Blood dripped from the sword and painted the grass red. Sakura stood there unable to move fear had completely taken control over her body. Suddenly the words "Wind Sycthe Jutsu!" echoed in Sakura's ears. Orochimaru was caught off guard and his body was lifted up into the air by a vortex of air. Temari emerged from the bushes and glared over at Sakura. "Hand over the scroll and I won't hurt you" Temari exclaimed as Orochimaru's body hit the ground with a loud thump. Sakura's mind went blank, and she sprinted off into the forest. (Well, I can't say that was unexpected) Temari thought to herself. As she turned around she realized that Orochimaru was gone, and Mac was lying in a puddle of blood. Temari walked over to Mac's body and knelt down beside him. (Poor bastard, I really don't understand why they let weaklings graduate the academy) Temari thought to herself and took a deep breath. She reached into her ninja tool pouch, and pulled out a roll of white bandages. It only took her a few minutes to wrap the bandages around Mac's stomach. By the time she was done the bandages and her hands were red with blood. Temari wasn't sure why she helped someone who she had never even met before, but for some unexplainable reason she just felt compelled to help him. A few hours passed before Mac woke up. As he sat up he noticed it was night time, his head snapped to the right as he heard someone let out a sigh. Mac locked eyes with Temari who was standing with her back up against a tree. "Well it's about time you got up" Temari exclaimed. "Who are you?" Mac questioned as he struggled to stand up.

"I'm Temari and hadn't it not been for me you'd be dead" Temari replied. "Not to sound ungrateful or anything but I'm sure I could've managed without your help" Mac replied. "Oh yea I'm sure you would've eventually stopped bleeding" Temari replied in a sarcastic tone. "Where's Sakura?" Mac questioned. "If you're referring to the pink haired girl, she ran off into the forest and left you for dead" Temari replied. "Why didn't you leave me? It's not like were from the same village so you didn't have to help me" Mac replied in a questioning tone. "Well I wasn't going to just leave you there in a puddle of blood, so I bandaged your wound, and then moved your body over here" Temari replied. "Well thank you for the help but I have to go find my teammates" Mac replied. "So you're just going to leave without telling me your name" Temari exclaimed as she grabbed her fan and latched it onto her back. "I'm Mac" Mac replied and ran off into the forest. (Hopefully Sakura and Sasuke have already regrouped) Mac thought to himself. The forest was a little too quiet, the only sound Mac could hear was the wind, which howled in his ears as he ran. Mac searched every inch of the forest, but still couldn't find his teammates. (Where the hell are they?) Mac thought to himself. His ears perked up as he heard twigs snapping behind him. Mac reacted quickly and launched a few ninja stars in the direction from which the sound had emanated. His ninja stars were all deflected and Orochimaru emerged from the bushes. "A bit jumpy aren't we" He exclaimed. "Well I wouldn't be so jumpy if someone hadn't tried to kill me earlier" Mac replied as he pulled out a kunai knife. "I was trying to kill the girl not you, and you can put the knife away because I'm not here to fight you" Orochimaru replied. "Then why the hell are you here?" Mac questioned. "I just wanted to give you this" Orochimaru replied and tossed a pill at Mac who caught it in the palm of his hands. "What is it?" Mac questioned. "It is known as the mind awakening pill, it will advance your cursed seal to stage two, but it will put you in a temporary death state" Orochimaru replied. "And why are you giving this to me, do you really think I'd be dumb enough to take something that you give me" Mac replied and put the pill in his ninja tool pouch. "Yes I do believe you will take that pill because just like Sasuke you desire power, but unlike Sasuke you possess The Nine Tailed Fox spirit which I'm sure will keep you alive once you enter your false death state" Orochimaru replied with a smirk.

"If I enter a temporary death state won't the fox enter a temporary death state to?" Mac questioned. "Well I'm sure it's going to take more than a small pill in order to put a tailed beast into a temporary death state" Orochimaru replied. "How do I know this pill won't kill me as soon as I take it" Mac exclaimed. "I wouldn't dream of killing you, you're a major part of my future plans" Orochimaru replied. "I'm still not going to take the pill" Mac replied. "Well maybe you won't but I don't think Sasuke will be as reluctant to take it" Orochimaru replied and licked his lips. "What did you do to Sasuke" Mac exclaimed as anger began filling him. "Oh I just gave Sasuke the same gift I gave you" Orochimaru replied. "You bastard" Mac exclaimed. "Don't worry he's alive in fact your team isn't too far from here" Orochimaru replied. "Where are they?" Mac questioned. "Follow the path straight ahead and you'll find them" Orochimaru replied and vanished leaving only a puff of white smoke behind. Mac stood there for a second before he began making his way up the path. As he walked out from behind a tree a kunai knife skimmed his left cheek. "Relax I'm not the enemy" Mac exclaimed as he looked over at Sasuke. Sakura ran up to Mac and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry I left you behind" she exclaimed. Mac's body went completely stiff this was the first time in his entire life that anyone had actually hugged him. "It's ok" Mac replied. Once she let go of Mac, Sakura reached into her ninja tool pouch and pulled out two scrolls. "Put those away, we don't need anyone trying to snatch them before we make it to the center of the forest" Sasuke exclaimed. "So you managed to get a heaven scroll" Mac exclaimed. "Yes, but now we need to get to the center tower before morning" Sasuke replied. "Alright then let's get moving" Mac replied. With that Said team seven began making their way towards the tower in the center of the forest. Once they arrived and entered the tower they were greeted by Kakashi.

"Congratulations on passing the second part of the exam" Kakashi exclaimed. "Kakashi sensei are we the last team to arrive?" Sakura questioned. "Well yes but don't let that discourage you" Kakashi replied as he looked at his squad, who appeared as though they had gone to hell and came back. "I'm guessing the third part of this exam won't be any easier" Mac exclaimed. "No it won't but you have a week before the finals Kakashi exclaimed. After that everyone was instructed to grab a piece of paper with a number on it to determine their opponents in the finals. Mac ended up with the number one and as luck would have it Gaara ended up with the number two. Mac knew one thing for sure, the first match of the Chunin exams was going to be one hell of a fight.


	11. Chapter 11 Mac Vs Gaara

The week before the finals went by quickly. Mac and Sasuke trained every single day with Kakashi who taught them both some new jutsu. As the days passed Mac and Sasuke grew stronger and closer. Most of the genin were anxious to see what the new comer (Mac) was capable of, and soon the day of the finals was upon them.

The stadium was dead silent as everyone waited for Kakashi to arrive with his students. After a few more minutes of waiting Kakashi suddenly appeared in the stadium along with his students. Kakashi and Sasuke then vanished again leaving Mac alone with Gaara in the stadium. Mac locked eyes with Gaara the look in his eyes was one that Mac knew well. It was the look that he saw every time he looked into a mirror. It was the look of hatred and loneliness. Mac dashed towards Gaara who just stood there motionless Mac's blows were fast and precise but Gaara's sand blocked every blow that Mac threw at him. Mac did a few backflips to get away from Gaara's sand that suddenly lashed out at him. "Fire Style Fire Ball Jutsu" the flames spewed forth from Mac's mouth, and crashed directly into Gaara. Mac looked over at Gaara who was completely encased in a ball of sand Mac charged towards Gaara again. (This is my chance if he can't see me then he can't block my attacks) Mac thought to himself Gaara's sand quickly dropped to the ground and in the blink of an eye flew towards Mac. The sand encased Mac and lifted him up into the air. Gaara clenched his fist tightly causing the sand to crush Mac who screamed out in pain. Mac fell to the ground in agonizing pain, Gaara stood there for a moment in silence. Then he stretched out his arm causing his sand to lash out towards Mac once again. Picking him up off the ground and slamming him into to wall blood escaped his mouth from the impact.

Mac fell hitting the ground face first (Damn it, if I could just get past his sand I might have a chance) Mac thought to himself as he picked himself up from the ground and once again he charged towards Gaara. "Water Clone Jutsu" A water clone appeared next to Mac (let's see how he does against two opponents) Mac thought to himself. Gaara stood there as his sand blocked every blow Mac and the clone threw at him Mac jumped back as Gaara's sand turned into spikes and stabbed the clone through the stomach and almost stabbed him. (This guy isn't fighting to become a chunin he just tried to kill me. I guess I'll have to try my new jutsu) Mac thought to himself. He clenched his right wrist with his left hand he gave Gaara a quick glance. Who just stood there Mac's right hand became engulfed in electricity (The chidori has to be my best shot at inflicting at least a little damage) Mac thought to himself and charged towards the demon of the sand with incredible speed Gaara encased himself in sand, just a second before Mac connected the attack.

Mac's hand penetrated Gaara's sand everyone in the audience remained silent. As Mac just stood there neither of them moved for what seemed like an eternity. Then Mac yanked his hand out of the sphere of sand leaving a small hole through which he could see Gaara's eyes trembling. Gaara whispered something but Mac couldn't hear what it was. His whisper turned into a shout as Gaara yelled out the words. "BLOOD, IT'S MY BLOOD I'M BLEEDING!" Just as Gaara finished screaming his lungs off an explosion went off in the center of the village. Everyone's attention left the battlefield and turned to face the direction from which the sound had emanated. In the blink of an eye Might Guy appeared in front of Kakashi and with a trembling voice he exclaimed. "Kakashi it's an ambush the hidden leaf is being attacked by the Hidden Sound" Kakashi looked around as another explosion went off. The villagers began panicking and frantically began running towards the exit of the chunin exams stadium. In the midst of the commotion the Kazekage grabbed the Hokage who had been sitting next to him and vanished. "Sakura, Sasuke gather up team ten and evacuate the villagers, Guy we have to secure the safety of the Hokage. Get Asuma and Kurenai and we'll rendezvous with Lord third, and help him take down the Kazekage" Kakashi exclaimed and vanished leaving only a puff of white smoke behind. Temari and Kankuro jumped down into the stadium Mac stood there in silence and shock although everyone was moving so fast everything seemed to happen in slow motion. "Gaara we have to go it's already starting" Temari exclaimed. Gaara's head snapped to the left and he gave Temari a bone chilling death stare.

"I'm going to KILL him and any who interfere" Gaara said as the remaining sand surrounding him fell to the ground. Gaara outstretched his arm causing his sand to form the arm of the beast he had sealed within him. The clawed hand grabbed Mac and smashed him through the stadium wall. The stadium shook as chunks of the wall fell on top of Mac. "Gaara no you can't transform yet!" Temari yelled in a panicking tone. Mac climbed out of the rubble his eyes widened as he noticed Gaara's eyes had changed from their normal hazel color. His eyes now resembled those of the beast within him. (What the hell is he?) Mac thought to himself. The screaming of the villagers filled the air along with the sound of the genin ninja trying to escort them out. Just then Sasuke appeared next to Mac. "Sasuke?" Mac exclaimed in a questioning tone. "Mac the village is under attack by the Hidden Sound and the Hidden Sand. Kakashi wants us to take care of them" Sasuke replied. "Sasuke I can handle Gaara go help Sakura and the others" Mac said as he wiped the blood from his busted lip.

"Watch yourself Mac, I saw firsthand what this guy did to Lee in the forest" Sasuke replied and then vanished. "Gaara listen to Temari we have to go now!" Kankuro exclaimed. Gaara looked over at his siblings "who the hell do you think you are to tell me what to do!" Gaara yelled and launched his sand towards Kankuro. The sand arm grabbed Kankuro and crushed his body causing him to scream in pain. Gaara proceeded to slam his brother against the wall knocking him out. "Gaara Stop!" Temari yelled with tears in her eyes. (Not good he's prepared to kill both of them) Mac thought to himself and dashed towards Temari. Gaara's arm transformed into the arm of the beast sealed within him. He clenched his fist and launched his arm towards Temari. Mac jumped in the way and crossed both of his arms across his face taking on the full force of Gaara's sand fist. "Gaara leave her out of this I'm the one you want to kill" Mac exclaimed as Gaara retracted his arm. "Get out of here NOW!" Mac yelled as he looked at Temari through the corner of his eye. Temari stood there for a second before running off to help Kankuro, Mac charged towards Gaara who just stood there with a smirk on his face. Mac swung blow after blow but it was to no avail Gaara blocked every single attack. "Water Clone Jutsu" Mac exclaimed as four clones appeared next to him. "Fire Style Fire Ball Jutsu!" Mac and the clones exclaimed in unison.

Gaara was hit directly by all five fire balls. His Body flew back and slammed into the stadium wall. The wall crumbled on top of Gaara as smoke from the fire balls filled the air. Mac stared at the rubble. Gaara jumped out from beneath the rubble. Half of his face had now transformed into the sand beast as well as his other arm. Gaara's arms lashed out towards Mac. Mac was lifted up into the air and crushed in between the giant sand palms. He was then slammed into another wall. Gaara's face completely transformed into that of the Shukaku. The top half of his body also transformed to resemble the Shukaku. Mac picked himself up from the ground his eyes were blood red, his round pupils turned into a single slash. The border of his eyes became dark black, his lips also became dark black. He charged towards Gaara with the chidori. Mac's chidori pierced Gaara's sand body. Who screamed as he was electrocuted Mac kicked Gaara's face causing him to stumble back. Gaara grabbed Mac once again and lifted him into the air with his free hand Gaara beat the living hell out of Mac. Blood spilled down Gaara's Shukaku Hand.

Black Fiery like lines spread across half of Mac's face. He could feel the curse mark on the bottom left of his neck burning. Gaara's shukaku hand and arm were completely engulfed in electricity and exploded. Mac landed on the ground. The black fiery lines had spread across his arms and legs. Mac locked eyes with Gaara for a moment there was silence. (My chakra is almost completely drained. And I can only preform the chidori one more time.) Mac thought to himself. He clenched his right wrist and began charging the chidori. Gaara began laughing menacingly as Mac charged at him. The chidori connected directly with Gaara's chest electrifying him and blasted him up into the air. Gaara's body flew up a few feet and then hit the ground with a loud thump at the moment it appeared he was unconscious. Mac stood there for a minute he had a feeling that the fight wasn't over. His suspicions were right as he witnessed Gaara pick himself up from the ground. Mac witnessed as Gaara completely transformed into the one tail Shukaku. Gaara sprouted from the top of the beast head.

He placed both of his hands together and in the blink of an eye he was hunched over and was fast asleep. The Shukaku stared down at Mac and in a high pitched voice yelled out the words "Wind Bullet" A blue oval of chakra formed in front of the Shukaku's mouth and was immediately launched at Mac. Who didn't have the strength to move so he was forced to take the blast head on Mac was crushed into the ground along with the entire chunin exams stadium which was obliterated everything in the village. Seemed to slow down as everyone witnessed the explosion of the stadium and the Shukaku standing at the heart of the destruction. Mac awoke in the room in which he usually spoke with the nine tails, but this time was different Mac was so close to death he could practically see his miserable life flash before his eyes. "Mac!" the Nine Tailed Fox Exclaimed.

Mac looked up only to be met with The Fox's eyes. "You're going to need my power in order to kill Shukaku" The Nine Tailed Fox exclaimed. "What's the point you saw what he transformed into no matter how much chakra I have Gaara is in a whole different league" Mac exclaimed. "So that's it you're just going to roll over and die?" The Nine Tailed Fox questioned. Mac just stood there staring down at his feet. "Even if I managed to take down Gaara that wouldn't change anything I wouldn't be any closer to achieving my revenge" Mac exclaimed. "No you wouldn't but if you die here you'll never know if Orochimaru was lying and you'll never get your chance at revenge" The Nine Tailed Fox replied. Mac locked eyes with the beast and balled up his fist. Even if he hated to admit it the demon fox was right. "All right then give me your chakra" just as Mac finished his sentence. Everything blurred out, and when Mac awoke he was lying on the ground surrounded by the cloak of the Nine Tailed Fox. As Mac got up he realized he was in a crater on the ground there were ninja fighting against the Shukaku, who was destroying the village. The villagers gazed in fear as they saw that Mac was surrounded in the cloak of The Nine Tailed Fox. Although the cloak had only a single tail they all wondered how long until the other eight tails sprouted.

Mac clenched his right wrist and began forming a crackling red chidori that contained all the chakra the nine tailed fox gave him. "Gaara leave them out of this I'm the one you want to kill!" Mac shouted. The Shukaku turned around and stared down at Mac "You again" The beast exclaimed in a high pitched voice he proceeded to form the wind bullet once again. He launched the wind bullet directly at Mac who jumped up into the air to counter it. Everyone in the village witnessed as Mac's vermillion chidori and the Shukaku's wind bullet became locked in a chakra power struggle. The sky darkened and thunder boomed as lightning flashed and rain began pouring down. "I WON'T LET YOU DESTROY THE HIDDEN LEAF VILLAGE!" Mac yelled as he pierced through the wind bullet. Mac's gloves and shirt completely ripped off. His shorts became tattered, His headband loosened and fell to the ground. The vermillion chidori connected with the Shukaku's face and in a flash of light the Shukaku's head was blown off. Gaara's Body flew up into the air and then fell to the ground. Everyone shielded their eyes from the sand that was falling from the sky. Mac landed on the ground he was completely out of chakra and his body was exhausted. And on top of this his body had cuts and bruises all over it. He fell face first on the ground but before he slipped from consciousness he saw his team mates running up to him and calling his name.


	12. Chapter 12: The S rank mission

Hey guys/girls just a quick announcement before you read this chapter. Rin is going to be alive in this story, But I've changed up a few things about her, the most important thing I changed is she won't be an adult in this story instead she will be around the same age as Sakura and Ino. Also I just want to say Happy Holidays.

A month has passed since Orochimaru's attempt to destroy The Hidden Leaf Village, and since then a lot has happened. Some of the genin were promoted to chunin, The Akatsuki have begun to put their plan into motion, Gaara of the hidden sand has been kidnapped, and on top of this the seal which holds the demon fox inside of Mac is dangerously close to being broken. The Hidden Sand has requested the Help of their new ally The Hidden Leaf to recover the jinchuriki of the One Tail Shukakau. Unfortunately most The Hidden Leaf's shinobi have been dispatched on other missions. The Third Hokage has sent a jonin kunoichi by the name of Anko Mitarashi along with a three man squad to assist The Hidden Sand rescue Gaara.

The frigid wind howled as Anko leaped from branch to branch, with her team close behind. "It'll take us a whole week to reach The Hidden Sand, Once were there we are to assist them in any way we can" Anko exclaimed as she looked over her shoulder. "Alright, so do they know what happened?" Mac questioned. "According to the intel that we received, The Hidden Sand was infiltrated and the Jinchuriki of the One Tail was kidnapped by a group of rogue ninja known as the Akatsuki" Anko replied. "The Akatsuki?" Mac exclaimed in a questioning tone. "Yea, have you heard of them before?" Anko questioned. "Not only have I heard of them before, but I've actually fought one of their members awhile back" Mac replied as the image of Kyomi flashed in his mind. Neji and Rin looked over at Mac as they heard his words. "What do the Akatsuki want with a jinchuriki?" Rin questioned. "Most likely they're after the tailed beast sealed inside of Gaara" Anko replied. "So they're after the Shukaku?" Mac exclaimed in a questioning tone. "Most likely yes, in the past tailed beast were sought out as weapons of war" Anko replied. (Is that why he hates humans so much because he was hunted as a weapon of war) Mac thought to himself as the image of The Nine Tails flashed in his mind.

"What happens if they extract the tailed beast from inside of Gaara?" Neji questioned. "Based on what I know Gaara will die after having his tailed beast removed, after that the beast will most likely go on a rampage" Anko replied. "Those bastards!" Mac exclaimed in anger. Everyone turned their attention to Mac who was gritting his teeth and digging his finger nails into his palms. "Who the hell do they think they are? He may be a jinchuriki but before that he's a human not some rabid animal just waiting to be put down" Mac exclaimed as he sped up and went on ahead of Anko, Neji and Rin. (Don't worry Gaara I swear I won't let you die. I'll put my life on the line if I have to but I won't let them treat you like some kind of animal whose life doesn't matter) Mac thought to himself. "With the way he's talking you'd never suspect that The Hidden Sand tried to destroy our village" Neji exclaimed. "They were deceived by Orochimaru and the situation has been cleared up now so it doesn't matter anymore. What does matter is that he has a point, even if Gaara has a tailed beast inside of him that doesn't make him any less human than us" Anko replied.

Suddenly several kunai knives with a paper bombs attached to them flew past Anko's face and penetrated into the tree in front of her. "Get Down!" She exclaimed as the paper bomb detonated. The explosion rang in Mac's ears and stopped him dead in his tracks. He quickly jumped down from the branch that he was standing on. (What the hell?) Mac thought to himself as he turned around to face the source of the sound. His ears perked up as heard the sound of a flute playing behind him. Mac quickly spun around on the heel of his sandal and locked eyes with the red haired kunoichi. "How unfortunate" Orochimaru exclaimed as he suddenly appeared next to Tayuya. "You bastard what the hell did you do?" Mac exclaimed in anger. "Lord Orochimaru simply slowed your friends down" Kabuto exclaimed as he stepped out from behind Orochimaru. Mac balled up his fist and locked eyes with the sadistic human snake. "Mac, I understand you're on a mission to help The Hidden Sand Village save their jinchuriki" Orochimaru exclaimed with a smirk.

The wind whistled past them as Mac stood there glaring at Orochimaru. "Well I can take you to him on one condition" Orochimaru exclaimed. "Go to hell you sadistic bastard" Mac replied and turned around. "Don't forget his life is in your hands and this may be your only chance to save him in time" Orochimaru replied. Mac took a deep breath before dashing away towards the others who were caught in the explosion. He looked around frantically as he stepped into the thick grey smoke that was now filling the forest. "Rin! Neji! Anko sensei!" As he called out their names the smell of burning wood filled his nostrils. "Over here!" Neji exclaimed. Mac ran towards neji, and as he got closer he realized that he was stuck under a fallen tree. "Hold still" Mac exclaimed as he engulfed his hand in electricity. Neji watched as Mac slammed his chidori into the tree causing it to explode from the sudden impact. Mac then extended his hand and helped Neji sit up. "Where's Anko sensei and Rin?" Mac questioned. "In the midst of the explosion we were attacked, the attackers forced all of us to split up" Neji replied. "Damn it, well by the looks of it you're in no condition to walk" Mac replied as he looked down at Neji. "You go on ahead I'll be fine, besides Lord Hokage was going to send a back up squad to meet up with us" Neji exclaimed.

"I'm not going to leave you here alone not when you can't even defend yourself" Mac replied. "What other choice is there, Anko sensei and Rin are in danger and Gaara will be killed if we don't hurry up. Don't worry I'll catch up with you as soon as I can" Neji exclaimed. Mac looked down at Neji one last time before he prepared to leave. "Just be careful Neji, I don't plan on losing anyone today or any time soon" Mac exclaimed and dashed away into the forest. His heart beat faster with each step he took and his breathing soon turned into short panicked breaths as he looked around frantically. (Damn it, where are they?) Mac thought to himself. "Water Style Water Vortex Jutsu!" Although it was feint Mac could hear Rin's voice off in the distance. He quickly made his way towards her and to his surprise found her standing over and unconscious Hidden Sound ninja. "Where's Neji and Anko Sensei?" She questioned as she looked over at him. "Neji hurt his leg in the explosion and I still haven't found Anko sensei" Mac replied. "I can treat Neji's leg if you can take me to him" Rin replied as she approached him. Mac and Rin quickly made their way back to the location where Neji was supposed to be but upon arriving they realized that he was nowhere to be seen. Instead Orochimaru stood there chuckling as he stared at the two chunin.

"Where the hell is Neji?" Mac exclaimed in anger, but Orochimaru didn't answer him instead he just stood there chuckling. Then without saying a word he suddenly dashed towards Mac. "Get back Rin!" Mac exclaimed. Orochimaru jabbed his right fist into the young shinobi's stomach. The sudden impact lifted the boy slightly off the ground. Orochimaru followed the attack by ramming his sandal into the boy's stomach. Mac fell to the ground and slid back a few feet before coming to a sudden stop. Orochimaru smirked as he looked over at Mac who quickly jumped up to his feet and charged towards him. He launched his fist towards the human snakes face. But Orochimaru quickly took ahold of his fist and twisted it before repeatedly forcing his own fist into Mac's stomach. He then tossed the boy towards a nearby tree. Cracks formed in the bark from the sudden impact of having a human body slammed into it. Black fiery lines spread across Mac's face and body as he spit out blood and dashed towards Orochimaru again. The young shinobi's body was forced to slide back a few feet from the sudden impact of Orochimaru slamming his sandal into it. Orochimaru stood there and watched as Mac clenched his right wrist and began charging up the chidori. The crackling sound filled his ears and only grew louder as Mac got closer to him. Right before he connected the attack Orochimaru took ahold of Mac's wrist.

The two of them locked eyes for a split second before Orochimaru launched Mac towards another tree. The impact of the chidori caused the tree to completely explode into tiny bits. Mac quickly turned around and locked eyes with his opponent. Orochimaru licked his lips as he looked over at Mac, something about this boy reminded him a lot of his previous favorite student, Anko. He stood there motionless as Mac dashed towards him once again. "Water Clone Jutsu" two clones appeared next to Mac and ran ahead of him towards Orochimaru. Who pulled out his sword and cut the first clone in half. The second clone jumped up and tossed a few ninja stars towards Orochimaru who dodged them with minimal effort. Mac and the clone both clenched their wrist and began charging up the chidori. Orochimaru stood there and prepared to counter the attack. The clone charged towards Orochimaru first as Mac vanished. Orochimaru took ahold of the clone's wrist as it tried to connect the attack. The clone proofed away as Orochimaru forced his sword into its stomach. Suddenly Mac reappeared behind Orochimaru and slammed the chidori into his back. Orochimaru was electrocuted and then his body was sent crashing through a tree. Mac watched as the demonic snake slowly picked himself up. He charged towards his opponent once again only to be knocked back by a bunch of snakes that suddenly emerged from Orochimaru's sleeve. Mac jumped back up to his feet and began preforming hand signs. "Fire Style Fire Ball Jutsu" he quickly inhaled and then launched the fire ball from his mouth towards Orochimaru. Who dodged the attack and charged towards him. Mac did a few backflips in order to put some distance between him and Orochimaru. Who continued to charge towards him and then suddenly vanished. Mac dug his feet into the ground and carefully observed his surroundings as he waited for Orochimaru to re-emerge. Orochimaru suddenly reappeared behind him and slammed his sandal into the boy's back. Forcing him to fall face first to the ground.

Mac rolled over onto his back as he heard Orochimaru's laughter. "What the hell is so funny you sadistic freak?" Mac questioned. "Oh nothing it's just amusing to see your attempts to stop me" Orochimaru replied. Mac quickly stood up and resumed his fighting stance. "There is no point in continuing this fight" Orochimaru exclaimed and in a blink of an eye vanished leaving nothing but a puff of white smoke behind. "Are you okay?" Rin questioned. "Don't worry about me I barely used up any chakra" Mac replied. "You don't have to act cool just to hide your injuries, I can tell that you're exhausted. C'mon sit down and rest" Rin replied. Mac's face turned a bright shade of red as he heard Rin's words but that didn't stop him from taking a seat beside her with his back up against a tree. The moon slowly rose into the sky and its light shined down onto the two of them as Mac slowly fell asleep. Rin sat in silence and looked over at him. (You may be a jinchuriki with an immense amount of chakra, but even you need to rest) She thought to herself. For the rest of the night she sat there in silence with two kunai knives in her hands.


	13. Chapter 13: Unexpected Reunion

Rin kept watch over Mac as hours of agonizing silence drifted by. Occasionally she would glance over at him, he almost looked peaceful as he slept. But not even in his sleep was he at peace for he was having a nightmare of the faceless woman whom he presumed was his mother. Within his nightmare he could see her sitting in a patch of grass with her face in her palms. The sound of her crying rang in his ears, and behind her stood The Nine Tailed Fox growling. The nightmare ended when the demonic fox pierced the woman's body from one side to the other with his claws. Her blood splattered onto Mac's face and chest. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he was brought back to the dark forest in which he was resting. His ocean blue eyes danced around as they tried to adjust to the darkness. "Good morning sleepy head" Rin exclaimed with a smile. Mac didn't say anything to her but by the expression that was on his face she could tell that he did not rest well. "By the expression on your face I take it you had a nightmare" Rin exclaimed as she slid her kunai knives back into her ninja tool pouch. "Have the others come by here?" Mac questioned as he tried to remove the image of the bloody faceless woman from his mind. "Unfortunately no" Rin replied as she got up from the ground. Mac stood up and looked around before turning to face Rin again. "Listen Rin I know this is going to sound dangerously stupid, but we're going to have to split up" Mac exclaimed.

"Are you out of your mind, the enemy is still out there somewhere" Rin replied. "Anko sensei, Neji and Gaara are still out there to, and I'll be damned if I let Gaara die" Mac replied. "So do you just plan on going after him by yourself?" Rin questioned. "Yes I do, but I need you to regroup with Neji and Anko sensei" Mac exclaimed and turned around prepared to take his leave. "Mac…be careful" Rin exclaimed as she took ahold of the boy's wrist. Mac simply looked over his shoulder and gave her a smile of reassurance before running off into the dark forest. Once he was out of sight Rin turned around. "I hope you're not falling for that boy" Kabuto exclaimed as he stepped out from behind a tree. Rin didn't say a word instead she just stood there speechless. "Don't forget that he is to be lord Orochimaru's next vessel, but more importantly don't forget your mission" Kabuto exclaimed as he adjusted his glasses. "I won't forget my mission, now if you'll excuse me I have to regroup with the others" Rin exclaimed and began walking away. "Anko and the Hyuga kid are exactly five hundred feet west of here" Kabuto exclaimed and then vanished. Rin took a deep breath before she began walking towards the others. Her mind ran wild with the details of her secret mission assigned to her by Orochimaru. (What will the others think of me if they ever find out the truth) Rin thought to herself.

(Meanwhile) Mac continued running as fast as he could. (Just hold on a little longer Gaara I'm on my way) he thought to himself. He leaped up from the ground onto a branch and began jumping from one branch to another. With no real idea of where to go he ran aimlessly through the forest. The sun was high in the sky by the time he reached the end of the forest. (Alright where do I go from here) Mac thought to himself as he observed his surroundings. His ears perked up as he heard the familiar sadistic chuckle of Orochimaru. Mac spun around on the heel of his sandal and tossed a few ninja stars at Orochimaru who deflected them with ease. "There's no need for hostility I'm only here to help you" Orochimaru exclaimed. "Are you going to help me before or after you try to kill me again?" Mac questioned in a sarcastic tone. "Last night was simply a test, but enough about that. I know you're after the one tail jinchuriki" Orochimaru replied. "I don't have time for another one of your offers I have to get to Gaara before the Akatsuki kill him" Mac replied. "I can take you to him, no strings attached" Orochimaru replied with a smile. Although Mac knew that Orochimaru couldn't be trusted, he also knew that he had no other choice. If he didn't take Orochimaru up on his offer Gaara was sure to die. He took a deep breath before he locked eyes with Orochimaru. "Alright take me to him" Mac exclaimed and slowly walked up to Orochimaru.

(Meanwhile, Back in the forest) "Alright, then it's settled I'll escort Neji and Rin back to the village so they can get patched up" Anko exclaimed. "In the meantime I'll try to catch up to Mac and complete the mission" Kakashi replied. After their brief conversation Anko began walking back to the village with Neji and Rin close behind. "Alright you two stay close to me we have a lot of ground to cover" Kakashi exclaimed as he looked down at Sasuke and Sakura. "His scent is feint but I can take you to him" Pakkun exclaimed and began running into the forest. The trio of ninja followed the ninja hound closely. Unaware of the danger that they were about to stumble upon.

(Meanwhile) "The wind howled as Mac locked eyes with someone who he never expected to see again. "Kyomi?" He exclaimed in a questioning tone. Orochimaru smirked as he looked over at the boy and then vanished. Mac's eyes fell down to Gaara's body which lay next to Kyomi. "But how? I thought you were dead" Mac exclaimed. "You're still as naïve as ever aren't you Mac" Kyomi replied and removed his Akatsuki cloak. Mac observed the young man who he once referred to as brother. Kyomi was a fair-skinned young man, around the same height as Kakashi, with dark black hair and emerald green eyes. He dawned a dark grey t-shirt with dark black pants and standard blue ninja sandals. Mac and Kyomi stood there in silence as their hearts began beating at an alarming rate.

It was the only sound the two of them could hear. The sky darkened as the clouds blocked out the sun. Kyomi's emerald green eyes were locked onto Mac but neither of them moved. The two just stood there staring at each other. If looks could kill neither of them would still be standing. Mac balled up his fist and dashed towards his best friend. The two continued the silent conversation with their fist. Mac felt Kyomi dig his fist into his lower abdomen and then his stomach met with Kyomi's knee. Kyomi forced his sandal into Mac's stomach and forced the young ninja to slide back a few feet. Mac pulled out a Kunai knife and charged towards Kyomi. Who pulled out a Kunai knife of his own, the knives clinked and clanked as they met several times. Mac slashed his kunai upwards only to have his arm grabbed and twisted by Kyomi forcing his knife to fall to the ground. Kyomi jabbed his kunai into Mac's arm causing a small amount of dark blood to squirt upwards. Mac took a few steps back before he yanked out the knife from his arm and launched it at Kyomi who easily dodged it. "Water Style Raging Water" Mac inhaled and then launched a powerful blast of water from his mouth towards Kyomi. Who jumped up into the air to dodge the blast, Kyomi reached into his pouch and pulled out several ninja stars which he quickly tossed at Mac. Who did a few backflips in order to dodge them, once Kyomi was back on the ground. They charged at each other again both of them launched their fist at the other. Kyomi grabbed Mac's Right fist with his right hand, and Mac took ahold of Kyomi's left fist with his left hand. The two ex best friends locked eyes, and then Kyomi did a small hop and crashed his knee into Mac's chin. Mac struggled to regain balance and Kyomi took advantage of this by repeatedly forcing his fist into Mac's stomach before spin kicking him to the ground.

Kyomi pulled out another kunai and slowly walked up to Mac. Who quickly jumped back up and kicked the knife out of Kyomi's hand. Mac slammed his fist into Kyomi's face repeatedly and then he slammed his sandal into Kyomi's stomach forcing his body to slide back across the ground. Kyomi quickly regained control of his own body and dashed towards Mac. Who felt the sudden pain of Kyomi's sandal slamming into his gut, the sudden impact caused Mac to lose balance and stumble backwards. Kyomi followed the attack by hitting Mac with a strong upper cut that sent him crashing to the ground. Mac quickly picked himself up off the ground and that's when Kyomi noticed his eyes had changed. From their normal blue color they were now red fox eyes that hungered for blood and destruction. Kyomi stood there motionless as he stared into those eyes. Finally he overcame his shock and charged towards Mac. Kyomi came to a sudden stop and launched his foot at Mac's face. His sandal slammed into Mac's lips and sent him crashing back to the ground. Kyomi smirked as he looked down at Mac. Who slowly picked himself up off the ground and locked eyes with his enemy. "What's so funny?" Mac questioned. "Nothing I'm just happy that i get to succeed where the fourth hokage failed, I get to kill the nine tails and his pathetic jinchuriki" Kyomi replied. Mac smirked as he pulled out two kunai knives. "Well if you think I'm the same kid you nearly killed back in the Hidden Waterfall, then you're in for a rude awakening" Mac exclaimed. As he clenched the knives tightly in his hands. "That's a lot of confidence for a bastard child" Kyomi replied and began preforming hand signs.

"Fire Style Fire Ball Jutsu!" Kyomi took a deep breath and then spewed forth a red and yellow fire ball from his mouth his mouth towards Mac. Who stood there motionless watching as the fire ball hurdled towards him. Once it was right in from him Mac vanished leaving nothing but a brown log behind. He reappeared behind Kyomi and jabbed his knives towards Kyomi's back. But Kyomi countered by jumping upwards and doing a backflip mid air in order to land behind Mac. Who spun around quickly and launched his foot toward Kyomi as fast as possible. Both of their sandals met in a loud clap and the pressure from the colliding sandals forced both of them two slide back a few feet. The two of them wasted no time in resuming the action. They quickly dashed towards each other and traded blow after blow. Mac drove his fist into Kyomi's ribs repeatedly forcing his opponent to keep backing up. Kyomi managed to pull off a quick jump and forced his right sandal into Mac's nose. A loud crack filled the air as Mac stumbled backwards. Kyomi quickly pulled out another kunai knife and repeatedly slashed away at Mac's chest blood flew up into the air and landed on Kyomi's face. Who smiled as he saw Mac fall backwards onto the ground. Kyomi began preforming more hands signs before he placed his hand on the ground and exclaimed the words "Earth Style Earth Splitter" the ground cracked before splitting open and swallowing Mac into a dark abyss along with a few trees. "Make sure you don't kill him, remember that we need him alive he's useless to us if he's dead" A familiar cold voice exclaimed. Kyomi jerked his head to the right only to be met by the cold lifeless stare of Itachi Uchiha. "So I assume you apprehended the two tails" Kyomi exclaimed. "She put up a fight but she wasn't a match for Itachi and me" Kisame exclaimed as he stepped out from behind Itachi with the two tails jinchuriki hunched over his shoulder. Itachi gave Kyomi one last glance before lifting Gaara off the ground and tossing him over his shoulder. He then began walking away with Kisame close behind, once the two of them were out of sight. Kyomi took a deep breath and looked down into the dark abyss.


	14. Chapter 14: A death in the family

A few minutes of silence passed before Kyomi's eyes widened as he saw a long bubbly red arm reach out towards him. Kyomi jumped backwards and the bubbly clawed hand stuck its claws into the ground followed by another clawed hand. Soon Mac launched himself into the air and out of the dark abyss he was surrounded in the cloak of the nine tails with only a single tail. Mac landed on the ground on all fours a few feet away from Kyomi. "Before I tear you to shreds tell me one thing Kyomi" Mac exclaimed his blood red eyes were locked onto Kyomi. "What do you want to know?" Kyomi questioned. "Why did you betray The Hidden Waterfall? Why did you betray me?" Mac questioned. "The answer is simple really, me and you we were never really friends. I never saw you as the little brother I never had. To me you're just a rabid animal who's just begging to be put down. As for the village well I never really cared about anyone there, their lives are meaningless to me" Kyomi replied. Mac gritted his teeth as he heard Kyomi's words and a second tail sprouted forth as his anger began boiling. Kyomi laughed as he saw Mac grind his teeth together. "You actually thought we were friends didn't you, you actually thought i saw you as my brother. You orphans are all the same all of you want a family so bad that as soon as someone shows you a bit of kindness you don't dare question to question them. Well guess what Mac me and you were and will never be brothers. You're just a sniveling bastard who needs to be taught a lesson" Kyomi exclaimed.

"SHUT UP!" Mac shouted his anger was rising to a point where he was losing control and the third tail of the cloak sprouted. "Before I kill your worthless ass allow me to show you something exciting so you can tell mommy all about it once I rip your head off your shoulders and you join her in the afterlife" Kyomi replied and then shut his eyes. His skin began to change color and his dark black hair turned snow white. From his head sprouted to pure black horns that curled like that of a goats. When he opened his eyes his pupils were gone and his eyes were completely blue. The white yolk of his eyes were now black. His skin was now a dark shade of red. From his back sprouted to gray bat like wings. His finger nails turned dark black and his ears became pointy. "This is what a stage three curse mark looks like and now allow me to show you the power that the stage three curse mark grants me" Kyomi exclaimed revealing to Mac his now sharp black teeth. Mac charged towards Kyomi on all fours his anger had boiled to its limit. Mac launched the arm of the cloak towards of Kyomi who simply took ahold of it. Kyomi forced Mac up into the air and then slammed him back down onto the ground. Chunks of the ground flew up into the air from the impact. Kyomi flew up into the air and began preforming hand signs as he stared down at Mac who was picking himself up off the ground. "Inferno Style Magma Ball!" Mac jumped out of the way as the flaming inferno crashed into the ground causing it to melt beneath it. As the ball dug deeper into the ground it began to crackle and then it exploded in a flash of white light Mac shielded his eyes with his hands and then he felt something lift him off the ground. As the light dimmed Mac realized that Kyomi had taken ahold of him. Kyomi then flew downward and used Mac's body as a shield to crash into the ground. A large crater formed around the two from the sudden impact. Kyomi quickly retreated to the air but Mac wasn't prepared to let him go so he extended the arm of the nine tails cloak and took ahold of Kyomi.

Mac slammed Kyomi into a nearby mountain. Which came crumbling to the ground on top of Kyomi. Mac retracted his arm and waited for his opponent's next move. Which came quickly as Kyomi came dashing towards Mac with inhuman speed with a crackling red chidori. He connected the attack with Mac's chest and sent him spiraling into the forest. Mac felt the immense pain of several trees breaking in half on his back. Eventually he landed on the ground and rolled through the dirt a few times before coming to a stop. Kyomi flew towards Mac only to be grabbed and crushed in between the two bubbling red palms of the nine tails cloak. Kyomi was then hurdled through the air like a baseball. After spinning out of control for about a minute he regained control and again flew towards Mac. Who was charging towards him on all fours. The two beast met in mid air. The two of them rolled through the dirt a couple of times as they slashed away at each other. Kyomi focused chakra into the soles of his feet and sent Mac flying upwards. Mac locked his sight onto Kyomi as he landed on the ground. "I'm sure you're wondering how I was able to perform the chidori just a short while ago" Kyomi exclaimed. "Actually the only thing I'm thinking about now is how I should kill you" Mac replied. "Isn't that cute the orphan is holding a grudge anyways allow me to show you how I was able to copy your jutsu" Kyomi replied as his eyes reverted back to their normal green color. Mac watched in disbelief as Kyomi's eyes changed into those of the sharingan. Kyomi took advantage of Mac's shock and quickly dashed towards him. Mac jumped up and then formed two giant balled up fist and brought them down onto Kyomi with all of his strength. Mac landed on the ground a few feet away from Kyomi and watched as his opponent struggled to pick himself up off the ground. Kyomi balled up his fist and then vanished, he reappeared behind Mac and drove his foot into his spine. Mac was sent flying forward only to be met by Kyomi's fist once again. Mac was sent flying upward this time. Kyomi flew up after Mac and repeatedly forced his chakra infused fist into Mac's stomach this lasted for a while before Kyomi grabbed Mac by his throat and slammed him back into the ground. Kyomi flew upwards once again and began preforming hand signs once again. "Water Style Shark Bomb!" The water shark quickly formed next to Kyomi and then cut through the air as it made its way towards Mac.

Mac jumped up on to his feet and once again launched the fist of the cloak of the nine tails towards the shark bomb. The shark bomb exploded in the air as it collided with the red fist of the cloak. Kyomi quickly descended onto the ground and dashed towards Mac. Kyomi drove his fist into his opponent's stomach with all of his strength. Causing Mac to spit out blood, Kyomi continued to pound away at Mac's stomach. Forcing the young jinchuriki to back up. Kyomi was then sent flying backwards as he felt Mac crash a giant fist into his body. Kyomi rolled through the grass a few times until his body eventually hit a tree. The two of them once again dashed towards each other. They proceeded to beat the living hell out of each other with bone crunching blows. Kyomi took ahold of one of Mac's tails and tossed him up into the air. He followed up the attack by preforming hand signs once again. "Water Style Shark Bomb!" The shark quickly flew upwards towards Mac and with no way to counter it Mac was force to take the blast head on. The explosion sent his body higher into the air and then he dropped to the ground like a heavy weight. Kyomi watched as Mac struggled to pick himself up off the ground, the nine tails cloak was gone and all that remained was a helpless pathetic orphan. Kyomi dashed towards Mac and forced his fist into the boy's cheek. Mac fell down to the ground as his eyes reverted back to their natural blue color. "Look at you, you're a pathetic waste of space" Kyomi exclaimed as he grabbed Mac by his throat. He lifted the orphan up off the ground and tightened his grip on his throat. Mac gasped for breath but soon his eyes began shutting and he blacked out. Black fiery lines began to spread all over Mac's body. When his eyes opened again they were a strange shade of red almost as if they were fading. Kyomi stumbled back as Mac crashed his knee into his chin. Mac followed up the attack by quickly forming the chidori and forcing it into Kyomis stomach. Who was sent soaring a few feet back through the air. Mac balled up his fist and charged towards Kyomi who was quickly recovering from the last attack. Kyomi quickly grabbed Mac's fist and aimed his left fist towards Mac's face only to have it grabbed by Mac. The two locked eyes for a split second before their knees collided in a loud bang. As they tried to knee each other in the gut.

With no other way of attacking the two of them stood there tightening their grip on the other's fist. "So I see father gave you the curse mark as well" Kyomi exclaimed. "Father? Orochimaru is your dad?" Mac questioned with wide eyes. Kyomi didn't give Mac a real answer he simply smirked, and proceeded to take advantage of Mac's shock by letting go of his fist and quickly forcing his sandal into his stomach. Mac slid back a few feet before regaining balance. "Fire style fire ball jutsu!" The flaming ball spewed forth from Mac's mouth and crashed into Kyomi. Forcing his body to crash into the nearby trees which burned to a crisp. Kyomi managed to fly up into the air where he looked around frantically but there was no sign of that damn orphan anywhere. Suddenly his ears were filled with the sound of crackling lightning and he felt an immense pain in his back as Mac forced the chidori into his back. Kyomi was forced back down to the ground, a crater formed in the ground from the impact of having a body slammed into it. Mac did a few backflips to gain some distance from his opponent and then patiently waited for Kyomi to get up. Mac watched Kyomi as he struggled to stand up and then in the blink of an eye he vanished. Kyomi reappeared behind Mac and quickly forced his kunai into the young shinobi's back. He then proceeded to slash the knife upwards sending fresh warm blood up into the air. Kyomi then focused chakra into the soles of his feet and forced his sandal into the back of his opponent sending Mac crashing to the ground. Kyomi flew up into the air and began preforming hand signs. "This is it Mac it's time to end this once and for all. You can either counter this attack or lay there, and die like the rabid animal you are" Kyomi exclaimed as he continued to perform hand signs. Mac forced himself to stand up and locked eyes with his former best friend. He began preforming hand signs of his own. (Please nine tails lend me just a little bit of your power I swear this is the last time I'll ask you for your power) Mac thought to himself as he finished preforming his hand signs and clenched his right wrist with his left hand.

Kyomi opened up his palm and within it a black crackling orb of chakra began forming. Mac and Kyomi locked eyes for the last time as Kyomi flew towards Mac at an alarming rate. Mac ran a few feet forward before leaping into the air. As he and Kyomi got closer to each other the black fiery lines of the curse mark retracted and the cloak of the nine tails once again surrounded Mac. As the two blast met in a chakra power struggle. The cloak of the nine tails sprouted two more tails. This was it the end of the road Mac was surrounded in the cloak which contained three tails but he was still struggling to hold his own in the power struggle. Lightning began crackling throughout the sky and the sound of the booming thunder rang in their ears. Heavy rain began pouring down on them as they stared into each other's eyes. Kyomi forced more chakra into his attack in an attempt to overpower Mac. At the moment it seemed as though it was working and Kyomi began forcing both attacks onto Mac. (Please Nine tails just a little more) Mac thought to himself. His eyes turned completely red as his pupils disappeared and the skin on his face began peeling off. The fourth tail of the cloak began to take form. And Mac gazed upon his best friend one last time with his own eyes. (I'm sorry Kyomi) Mac thought to himself before he let the nine tails take over. Once the fourth tail completely sprouted. The two attacks became unstable and exploded in a huge flash of white light that destroyed any organic life nearby. Kyomi and Mac were both sent crashing to the ground in opposite directions. A dark orb completely encased Mac. He could feel his skin ripping off and he began screaming within the orb. His screams soon turned into a bone chilling roar as a dark red beam hit the orb from the sky.

As the orb slowly dissapeared it revealed a dark red fox like figure with four tails. This dark figure maintained the outline of Mac's hair as well as his round eyes which were now completely white. The four tailed fox quickly charged towards Kyomi. Who barely had enough strength left to stand, Kyomi's eyes widened as he saw the four tailed fox charging towards him on all fours. The four tailed demon tackled Kyomi to ground and ripped his wings off without hesitation. Blood sprouted up and drenched the ground. Kyomi screamed out in agonizing pain but his screams were cut short as the four tailed fox jabbed its claws into the boy's body and proceeded to rip him up. Blood splattered everywhere as the fox continued to slash away at kyomi's now lifeless body. The fox let out a roar of victory and continued to tear Kyomi to shreds. The fox suddenly stopped and then snapped his head his to the left as the other three members of team seven caught his eye. The four tailed fox rushed over to them, Kakashi motioned for his students to stay back. His visible eye widened as he came face to face with the four tailed fox. The demon fox growled as it stared into their souls, and then something unexpected happened the fox was encased in a dark orb once again. As the orb diminished it revealed a bloody and beaten Mac who fell face first only to be caught by Sasuke who stepped out from behind Kakashi in order to help his friend. Sasuke placed Mac's arm around his neck and held him up. Kakashi smiled to himself as he saw Sasuke help Mac. "Come on guys let's go home" Kakashi exclaimed and slowly began walking. The three of them walked slowly behind their sensei. Mac looked over at Sasuke and smiled. He realized something important that day. He realized that as one friendship dies off a new one takes its place.


	15. Chapter 15: The Fourth's Legacy

Orochimaru slowly walked towards Kyomi's corpse, with each step that he took his body trembled and his eyes shook. His emerald green eyes were met with a gruesome sight one that would remain with him until the day of his death. Suddenly his legs gave out from beneath him and he fell to his knees, tears fell like waterfalls from both of his eyes. "Lord Orochimaru...are you okay?" Kabuto exclaimed in a questioning tone as he placed his hand on Orochimaru's shoulder. "No Kabuto I'm not the nine tails took someone that I loved away from me" Orochimaru exclaimed as he wiped away his tears. Kabuto removed his hand from Orochimaru's shoulder and took a step back as the human snake stood up. "I'm going to make him regret the day he was born" Orochimaru exclaimed as the wind blew through his long black hair. His tears slowly fell to the ground as he clenched his fist and turned around. "Bring him with us Kabuto I want to give him a proper funeral" Orochimaru exclaimed and began walking away with watery eyes.

(Elsewhere, on a path towards the hidden leaf)

Everyone continued to walk in silence towards the Hidden Leaf Village. Although no one said anything they all knew that the mission was a failure. Gaara was now on his way to his own death, and there was nothing else they could do to stop it. A tear escaped Mac's eye as he continued to walk. Even though he knew that crying wasn't going to change Gaara's fate, he couldn't help but shed tears for him. Gaara reminded Mac a lot about himself, the two boys shared a lot of things in common. Not only were they both jinchuriki, but both of them also had an untamable hatred for others. Unfortunately it was this very hatred that drove him to kill Kyomi the young man whom he once called brother. Even though he denied it, Mac was sure that somewhere deep down inside Kyomi knew that he and Mac were in fact brothers. Suddenly his eyes began forcing themselves shut and his legs gave out from beneath him. "Kakashi, we have a problem" Sasuke exclaimed as he placed his free hand on Mac's chest in order to prevent him from falling. Kakashi turned around and glanced at the unconscious jinchuriki. "It's ok He's just tired, he must've exhausted mostly all of his chakra during that fight" Kakashi replied. "Kakashi Sensei?" Sakura exclaimed in a questioning tone. Kakashi jerked his head to the left in order to face the pink haired Kunoichi. "Something's wrong?" He questioned. "I was just wondering who was that guy? The one that Mac was fighting" Sakura replied. "If I were being completely honest I don't know but judging from the look that Mac had on his face after the fight. I'd say the two of them knew each other from somewhere" Kakashi replied.

(Whoever he was, he sure did one of hell of a job of nearly killing Mac. I wonder if he was working for Orochimaru, and if so is that the kind of power that Orochimaru can grant me?) Sasuke thought to himself. "Come on you two, were almost home" Kakashi exclaimed as he approached Sasuke and proceeded to lift up Mac onto his back. Kakashi held Mac in a piggyback position and began walking again. (Come to think of it, when did Mac get so strong? Before his fight with Gaara we were evenly matched, but now it seems that with each passing day he's getting stronger and I'm still at the same point that I was at before the attack on the hidden leaf. I know I can't kill Itachi right now. I'm simply not strong enough, at least not yet.)

"Sasuke?" Sakura exclaimed in a questioning tone. Sasuke didn't say anything to her he simply turned his head to face her. "Do you think Mac's going to be ok? I mean you heard what the doctor told him about using up to much chakra" Sakura exclaimed. "Mac's going to be just fine, he just needs to rest" Sasuke replied. Even though he said it, he didn't necessarily believe it. After his battle with Gaara, Mac was rushed to the hospital. He had exhausted all of his chakra and the doctors had told Kakashi that it was a miracle that Mac was still alive. Normally when a person's chakra drops to zero they die, but Mac's case was a little different. He didn't die, instead he was hospitalized for two whole weeks. Before he was let out the doctor warned him that exhausting his chakra puts a huge strain on his body and if it we're to ever drop to zero again then he could kiss life good bye. "Don't worry too much you guys after some much needed rest, and a good meal I'm sure he'll be back to his old self" Kakashi exclaimed with a smile. Sasuke and Sakura simply exchanged a quick glance and continued to walk silently.

By the time team seven reached the village reached the village the rain had let up, and the sun was setting. They silently made their way to The Hidden Leaf Village general hospital. As they walked by, the villagers stopped what they were doing to stare at the unconscious jinchuriki. Upon arriving at the hospital Mac was assigned a room, where the doctors treated his injuries. "Is he going to be ok?" Kakashi questioned as the doctor stepped out of Mac's room. "Most of his injuries aren't too severe, they will heal over time. However his entire right forearm has been charred. I bandaged it for him, but I'm afraid he will no longer be able to use his right arm" the doctor replied. Kakashi remained silent as he heard the doctor's words for some reason it felt like a needle had just pierced his heart. "It is for the best if the boy gives up on being a ninja" the doctor exclaimed. Again Kakashi remained silent, he watched as the doctor walked away silently and then he stepped into Mac's room. To his surprise Mac was sitting up in the bed staring down at his bandaged forearm. "I heard what he said, so I guess this is how it ends huh? I can't be a ninja anymore" Mac exclaimed in a sad tone. Kakashi was at a loss for words he wasn't sure what he could tell the boy in front of him. But it didn't matter whether or not he had anything to say because words weren't going to change Mac's fate, they weren't going to magically heal his arm. "Nothing I say to you can change the outcome of what happened, but you should know that a real shinobi never quits, nor does he ever give up. Instead he learns his limits and then exceeds them" Kakashi exclaimed. A smile formed on Mac's face as he heard Kakashi's words, which made him come to yet another realization. "Try to get some rest, Mac" Kakashi exclaimed and then exited the hospital room. Upon exiting Kakashi's gaze was met by Jiraiya's. "Master Jiraiya? When did you get back?" Kakashi exclaimed. "I hurried back once I heard that The Nine Tails was alive. I also heard a rumor that her son survived" Jiraiya replied. "He did survive, his name is Mac, and your suspicions were correct. They didn't kill The Nine Tails, instead they sealed it inside of the boy" Kakashi exclaimed in a serious tone. "Minato never did anything without a good reason, but if the boy strays into a path of darkness. Well then his legacy could become The Hidden Leaf's greatest threat" Jiraiya exclaimed. "There's something else you should know" Kakashi replied. "What is it?" Jiraiya questioned. "Orochimaru branded him with a curse mark" Kakashi exclaimed. "The curse mark isn't a problem, it isn't something to be afraid of. It's the wielder you should be afraid of" Jiraiya replied and began walking away.


	16. Chapter 16: Step One The Water Balloon

A few days passed after Kakashi spoke with Jiraiya in the hospital. With the doctors unable to help Mac, the two of them made arrangements for Jiraiya to take Mac to see Tsunade, who is possibly the only person who could heal his arm. They also arranged for Jiraiya to oversee Mac's training. Currently both Mac and Jiraiya are on their way to Tanzaku town, which is Tsunade's last known location.

The birds chirped in the clear sky, as the warm rays of the morning sun beat down onto the grassy wasteland. Although it was a beautiful day, there was no one around to admire it. No one, except for two shinobi, a thirteen year old boy and an older man who was lost in his thoughts. "Jiraiya sensei" Mac exclaimed as he looked over his shoulder at his traveling companion. Jiraiya didn't answer Mac, instead he continued rummaging through his thoughts. "Hey, Jiraiya sensei, are you listening to me?" Mac exclaimed in a questioning tone. "Huh? Oh sorry I just zoned out" Jiraiya replied. "Alright, but when are you going to teach me that new jutsu?" Mac questioned. "Be patient we've only been on the road for a few hours, we've got plenty of time" Jiraiya replied. "But if I learn it now, I'll be able to master it before we get back to the village" Mac exclaimed. Jiraiya chuckled as he heard Mac's words. "What's so funny?" Mac questioned. "Nothing it's just that mastering a new jutsu takes a lot longer than what you might think. Especially when that jutsu is classified as an A rank jutsu" Jiraiya replied. "A rank jutsu?" Mac exclaimed in a questioning tone. "Yes, originally this jutsu was created by the fourth hokage" Jiraiya replied as he opened up his right palm and formed the rasengan. "It kind of looks like the jutsu Kyomi used during our fight" Mac exclaimed. "Kyomi?" Jiraiya exclaim in a questioning tone. "He was the akatsuki member that caused this" Mac replied as he looked down at his bandaged forearm. "I see, well what color was this guy's jutsu?" Jiraiya questioned. "It was a dark black sphere that looked nearly identical to this" Mac replied as he pointed to the rasengan in Jiraiya's hand. "Hmm, it sounds to me like this Kyomi wielded an imperfect dark chakra version of the rasengan" Jiraiya replied. "A dark chakra version of the rasengan?" Mac exclaimed in a questioning tone. "Yes, although dark chakra is extremely dangerous, some choose to try to master it, and incorporate it into their jutsu" Jiraiya replied.

"So how is it different from normal chakra?" Mac questioned. "Everyone is born with normal blue chakra, but dark chakra is formed from the negative emotions in someone's heart" Jiraiya replied. "So are there any draw backs to using dark chakra?" Mac questioned. "Only one, if the chakra flow in the wielder's body is disrupted, then the body of the wielder will deteriorate" Jiraiya exclaimed. "Has anyone ever mastered dark chakra?" Mac questioned. "To my knowledge I've never heard of any one mastering dark chakra" Jiraiya replied. "I have one last question" Mac exclaimed. "Alright, and after I answer it we can begin your training" Jiraiya replied. "Ok, are there any kekkei genkai that are born from dark chakra?" Mac exclaimed in a questioning tone. "As far as I know there aren't any, but I doubt that any dark chakra kekkei genkai actually exist" Jiraiya replied. Mac remained silent as he heard Jiraiya's words, it almost seemed like he was pondering something for a few seconds. "Alright then let's begin your training, first thing we'll have to do is determine whether or not you possess wind style chakra" Jiraiya exclaimed. "How do we do that?" Mac questioned. "Simple we'll use these" Jiraiya replied as he pulled out a few slips of paper. "We're going to use paper to determine whether or not I have wind style chakra?" Mac exclaimed in a questioning tone. "Not just any paper, this is known as chakra induction paper, here take one and hold it between your middle and index finger" Jiraiya replied as he held out a slip of paper in front of him. Mac did as he was instructed and took the slip of paper from Jiraiya's hand. He then held the slip of paper in between his middle and index finger. Jiraiya watched in a bit of shock and amazement as the slip of paper he had given Mac became damp, and then split in half. The two halves of the slip of paper then crumpled up, and ignited themselves on fire.

(Amazing, just like Misuki, he has four different chakra natures) Jiraiya thought to himself. "So do I have wind style chakra or not?" Mac exclaimed in a questioning tone. "Huh? Oh right, well it turns out that you do indeed have wind style chakra" Jiraiya replied. "Alright, so what's next?" Mac exclaimed in an eager tone. "Next you'll have to pop this using only your chakra" Jiraiya replied as he pulled out a balloon from his pocket and filled it with water from his little metallic canister. "You want me to pop a water balloon using only my chakra?" Mac exclaimed in a questioning tone as he watched Jiraiya tie the balloon. "Well if you say it like that it sounds rather silly. Using your chakra you'll churn the water in the balloon until it burst. However you'll have to spin the water in the opposite direction of which your body normally spins chakra" Jiraiya exclaimed as he handed Mac the water balloon. "That sounds pretty simple, are you sure this an A rank jutsu" Mac exclaimed as he took the water balloon in his hand. "Although it may sound like a simple feat. It'll be quite difficult to master, now let's get going. If we're going to to reach Tanzaku town in a couple of days we should probably increase our pace" Jiraiya exclaimed as he walked ahead of Mac. "Do you really think Lady Tsunade can fix my arm?" Mac questioned as he gently squeezed the water balloon in his left hand. "Well she is known as the world's greatest medical ninja, so there's no doubt in my mind that she can help" Jiraiya replied. After that Mac didn't say another word, instead he focused all his attention to the water balloon in his left hand. (All I have to do is spin my chakra in the opposite direction of its normal flow and the balloon will burst. But the question still stands how do I redirect my chakra flow?) Mac thought to himself.

After a few more hours of walking the pair came across a small town. There they decided to check into the town inn, where they would spend the night. "Isn't it kind of early to stop traveling" Mac exclaimed as he looked up at Jiraiya. "Well it is going to get dark soon and we can't keep going forward on empty stomachs" Jiraiya replied. "Well I guess you're right" Mac replied. "Alright then it's settled let's go get a bowl of ramen" Jiraiya exclaimed and proceeded to walk out of the inn. "Uh, Jiraiya sensei" Mac exclaimed. "Something wrong?" Jiraiya questioned. "No, it's just I don't like ramen" Mac replied. "Well then, what do you like?" Jiraiya questioned. "Dumplings, more specifically sweet dumplings" Mac exclaimed. "Alright then let's go get some sweet dumplings, but try not to fill up on only sweet dumplings. You'll get out of shape if all you ever eat are sweet dumplings" Jiraiya replied with a smile. After that brief conversation, both of them went towards a little dumpling stand that was surrounded by a few small tables. Once they purchased their food they sat across from one another at one of the small tables that had benches for chairs. However unlike Mac, Jiraiya didn't begin eating his food. Instead he gazed relentlessly at the group of women at another table. "Instead of staring at them you should eat. Sweet dumplings are no good once they get cold" Mac exclaimed. "I'll eat in a minute, and what's your problem don't you just love the curves of a woman?" Jiraiya exclaimed with glistening eyes, and a big toothy smile. Mac's faced turned bright red as he heard Jiraiya's question, and he found himself unable to utter a single word. "Oh, I see the problem you must be attracted to men" Jiraiya exclaimed as he picked up a dumpling stick from his tray. "No!, No!, I mean of course I'm attracted to girls, it's just I don't go around chasing after them" Mac exclaimed in a frantic tone.

Jiraiya chuckled as he heard Mac desperately try to explain himself. "Relax kid, I could tell you were attracted to girls from the moment I saw you look at that little brunette girl back at the village" Jiraiya exclaimed. "Are you talking about Rin? Because if you are I think you've got the wrong idea, I mean I barely know her" Mac replied. "Oh so you like the mysterious type, don't you?" Jiraiya exclaimed with a smirk. "You've got the wrong idea, but anyways I'm going to work on popping the balloon back at the inn" Mac exclaimed and then ran off towards the inn. (He's just like Misuki, getting so worked up over the smallest thing. But I guess I shouldn't leave him alone, since there's no telling when the akatsuki will make another move) Jiraiya thought to himself. He then proceeded to get up from his seat and began walking towards the inn. However before he got too far a group of women headed towards the town hot springs caught his attention. (On second thought maybe he needs some alone time, to focus) Jiraiya thought to himself as he changed his course of direction, and headed towards the hot springs.

(Elsewhere, at the inn) "Come on pop you damn balloon" Mac exclaimed as he glared at the water balloon in his left hand. A few more minutes of failed attempts passed before Mac dropped the water balloon on the floor, and threw himself backwards onto the small bed. (This would be so much easier if I just knew what direction my chakra flowed in) Mac thought to himself. Suddenly his mind traveled back to the days when he and Kyomi would train together, and forced steaming tears to escape his eyes. (Even though you tried to kill me and spit all of my trust back in my face, I'm going to miss you, because I know you saw me as the little brother you never had. Rest in peace old friend, I hope you're with your family on the other side) Mac thought to himself as he wiped away his tears and sat up in his bed. He then decided to pick up the water balloon up from the floor and attempt to pop it one last time before calling an end to his day. A few minutes of dead silence passed, before the water inside the balloon began pushing up against the sides of the interior of the balloon. Within a couple more seconds the balloon began deforming itself in all directions, before eventually popping in the palm of Mac's hand. "I did it, it actually popped, I have to tell Jiraiya sensei" Mac exclaimed in an eager tone and rushed to the door. Upon opening his room door he was greeted by a fair skinned young woman who dawned a long black cloak with red clouds. Mac backed up slowly as he watched her violet eyes change into those of the sharingan.

After he backed up a few feet he found himself unable to move anymore. Although he tried his best to avert his gaze from hers, his eyes forcefully drew themselves to the young woman's eyes. He stared into her eyes quietly, and watched as they slowly widened. Once they had completely widened her sharingan eyes morphed into a strange design and black blood fell from both of her sockets. After a few seconds Mac found himself in a dark room where he could see Rin crying. She was sitting on floor just a few feet away from him, and had her face buried in her palms. Unable to move or speak, he watched as Rin slowly turned around, she had no eyes in her eye sockets, and blood stained lips. Instead of tears, blood fell from the bottomless sockets where her eyes should have been. She slowly parted her lips in an attempt to say something, but before she uttered a single word the nine tails suddenly appeared behind her. The demonic fox forcefully pierced her body from one side to the other with his claws. Mac let out a blood curdling scream as her blood hit his face and clothes. Everything went pitch black after he watched the nine tails yank his claw out of her now lifeless body.


	17. Chapter 17: The plague

(Where am I?) Mac thought to himself as his eye lids slowly parted ways. His head felt like it was bound to explode at any second, and the bitter taste of blood wrested with the taste buds within his mouth. He could feel his stomach violently twist into a knot as he slowly sat up. Mac knew what was coming next, so he quickly threw himself to the wooden floor beside the bed he was laying in, and proceeded to vomit up black blood. Within the stream of blood spewing from his mouth were small chunks of normal red blood. His body trembled with pain, as the black blood continued to force its way out of his throat. Once the last of the blood splashed in to the puddle on the floor, a rather painful cough over took him. This coughing wouldn't cease until a palm sized chunk of blood escaped his lips. As the chunk hit the puddle, it caused some of the warm blood to splatter on to his face. However Mac didn't back away from the puddle of dark blood beneath him once it was all over. Instead he stood there staring into it with sorrow in his eyes. His mind was projecting a conversation that he had once had with Kyomi.

(Flashback) "Here you go lil bro" Kyomi exclaimed as he handed Mac a small orange pill container filled with dark purple pills with a white stripe around them. Mac took the container silently and stuffed it into his pocket. "Is something wrong Mac?" Kyomi questioned. "Do you think I'll ever be cured?" Mac questioned. Kyomi was a bit shocked by Mac's question, but he couldn't exactly tell Mac what he was actually thinking. "Listen to me Mac, even if I have to turn over every stone on the planet, I'm going to find you a cure. You just have to promise me that you'll keep taking that medicine" Kyomi exclaimed. Mac smiled as he heard Kyomi's words. "I promise I'll keep taking my medicine no matter what" Mac replied. Kyomi ruffled Mac's hair gently after he heard his promise. "Hey Mac" Kyomi exclaimed in a rather serious tone that Mac had never heard before. "What is it?" Mac questioned. "If you ever run out of pills I want you to come straight to me no matter what, do you understand?" Kyomi exclaimed. "I understand, but what'll happen if I don't take the medicine?" Mac questioned. "I'm not going to lie to you Mac, if for some reason you stop taking that medicine you'll die within a week's time" Kyomi exclaimed. "But you won't let that happen right big brother?" Mac questioned. "Of course I won't" Kyomi exclaimed. Mac smiled as he looked up at Kyomi, and for a moment he thought about how nice it was to have someone that he could trust. "Hey now that all the serious talk is over, whaddya say I buy you some sweet dumplings?" Kyomi exclaimed in a questioning tone. Before Mac had a chance to answer Kyomi's question, they were interrupted by one of Kyomi's teammates. He told Kyomi that they'd been assigned a new mission, and that they had to report to their sensei immediately. Kyomi apologized to Mac for not being able to join him for dumplings, and then he left with his teammate leaving Mac alone once again. (End of flashback)

Tears welled up within his eyes as he continued to stare at the puddle of blood on the wooden floor. The tears then proceeded to gently stream down the sides of his cheeks. "Damn it" he exclaimed in a shaky voice as punched the floor boards with his left fist. (It's only been two days since I ran out of medicine, it shouldn't be this bad) Mac thought to himself as he wiped the blood off of his lips with the back of his left hand. It wasn't until he had finished wiping away the blood from his lips, that he realized that he wasn't alone in that room. Out of the corner of his eye he could see a silhouette glaring at him from within the shadows. "It's Mac right?" Whoever spoke was a female, that much was clear, but who the hell would kidnap him. He figured that the only way to find out was to play along. He nodded his head slowly and slightly bit his tongue, in order to prevent himself from lashing out with a multitude of questions. "Listen you're safe for now, but whether or not you remain safe is completely up to you. Do you understand?" the silhouette exclaimed in a questioning tone. "I understand" Mac replied. "Good, now you wanna tell me why the hell you just vomited up all that blood?" the silhouette questioned. "It's complicated, but to put it simply it's some sort of plague" Mac replied. "A plague huh? So is it contagious?" the silhouette questioned. "If I were being honest I don't know" Mac exclaimed. "Alright then, stay here I'll be right back" the silhouette exclaimed. "It's not like I can go anywhere, even if I wanted to" Mac replied. The young woman ignored Mac's sarcastic remark, and instead stepped out of the shadows revealing her appearance to him. She was a fair skinned young woman with dark red hair, which was tied into a single thick braid that fell just below her waist. Her headband was pulled down over her right eye, so he could only see her left eye. Similar to Mac, her right eye was ocean blue. She dawned a simple sleeveless fishnet shirt, and a black mid-thigh high mini skirt, which fell over her fishnet leggings that ended at her calves. She also wore a pair of standard black ninja sandals, along with a pair of black fingerless gloves. Her attire was complimented by a thin rope necklace that ended in a dark purple crystal with tiny red specks scattered all over it. In fact Mac had seen that necklace before, he was almost one hundred percent sure that the necklace she was wearing once belonged to Kyomi.

Then without giving it a second thought he blurted out the question, "where did you get that necklace?" The young woman who was about to step out of the room, stopped dead in her tracks. She then looked over her shoulder at Mac. "It's none of your business, and in the future refrain from asking me questions" the young woman replied. "Actually it is my buisn..." Before Mac could finish his sentence he felt more blood force its way up his throat. His stomach once again knotted itself up and forced him to clench it tightly over his shirt. The young woman ceased this opportunity and stepped out of the small candle lit room. On the other side of the door Mac continued to vomit uncontrollably, however some of the blood splattered back on to his face due to the sudden impact of hitting the wooden floor. Blood tears began forcing their way out of his tear ducts as a lung shattering cough over took him. Within a few more seconds he began coughing up multiple blood clots. Soon after that Mac began to feel light headed, and before he realized it his eyes forced themselves shut. Unable to move anymore he collapsed face first into the puddle of blood on the wooden floor.

(Meanwhile, on the other side of the door) "How long do you plan on keeping him here?" The young woman questioned as she locked her gaze on to Orochimaru. "How long he stays in that room is completely up to him" Orochimaru replied as he continued to gaze at the horizon from a small window. "You do realize that he's dying in there don't you?" The young woman exclaimed in a questioning tone. "And you do realize that he's responsible for Kyomi's murder don't you?" Orochimaru exclaimed in a questioning tone. "You expect me to believe that a dying kid is responsible for Kyomi's murder" the young woman replied. "Denial is the first stage of acceptance" Orochimaru replied with a smirk. "Screw you" the young woman replied. Orochimaru chuckled softly before he turned around to face the young woman. "I'm flattered my dear, but unfortunately you're not my type" he exclaimed. The young woman didn't bother to justify his sarcastic remark with a response, and instead she made her way outside. "I know it isn't my place to question you, but how long do you intend to keep the boy here Lord Orochimaru?" Kabuto questioned. "Just as I told Sapphire, that decision isn't mine to make. I will simply present him with two options, and whichever he chooses will also decide his fate" Orochimaru replied. "But what if he chooses wrong, are you really prepared to let him die?" Kabuto exclaimed in a questioning tone. "No I'm not prepared to let him die, well at least not yet" Orochimaru replied. After Kabuto heard Orochimaru's words a strange silence befell them. Then without saying a single word, Orochimaru walked away towards the room that Mac was in. Upon entering the small candle lit room, Orochimaru was greeted by the sight of Mac lying face down in a puddle of blood. The sadistic human snake walked over to the boy and then knelt down beside him. (I wonder if he inherited her kekkei genkai) he thought to himself as he grabbed a handful of the boy's hair, and lifted his head up. Suddenly the boy's eye lids slowly drifted apart, and revealed that the once white yolk of his eyes were now blood red. However just as soon as they parted ways, his eyes began slowly shutting themselves again. "I'm going to need you to stay awake" Orochimaru exclaimed as he stood up, and lifted Mac up off the ground by his hair. The sadistic human snake then proceeded to launch Mac towards the back wall of the room. The boy's eyes shot wide open as his back made contact with the wall. His mouth also forced itself open in order to let out a little stream of black blood.

Unable to move the boy was about to fall face first on to the floor but before his body plummeted, Orochimaru charged towards him and took a hold of his throat. "Stay with me Mac" Orochimaru exclaimed as he forced his fist into the boy's stomach. The sudden collision forced even more blood to escape the boy's mouth. "Sc...screw...yo...you" Mac exclaimed in a tone so soft that it almost sounded like a whisper. The boy's words caused Orochimaru to let out a little chuckle. "Don't worry I'm not going to kill you, I just need you to listen" Orochimaru exclaimed as he let go of the boy's throat. His body slowly slid down the wall until he eventually hit the floor. Orochimaru knelt down in front of him and then took ahold of his face. "Tell me something Mac, how long has it been since you ran out of medicine?" Orochimaru exclaimed in a questioning tone. However he received no reply to his question, instead the boy in front of him remained silent. "There's no point in hiding it Mac, where did you think Kyomi was getting all that medicine from?" Orochimaru exclaimed in a sadistic yet questioning tone. Again he received no reply from the boy in front of him. "I'm willing to make more of that medicine for you Mac, but first you would have to do me one small favor" Orochimaru exclaimed.

"Wha...what...do...yo...you...want?" Mac questioned in a tone that sounded like he was struggling just to breathe. "You're in no condition to hold a conversation right now, but I can't let you die, well at least not yet. I'll have Sapphire bring you a pill and then once you're well rested we can discuss this favor" Orochimaru replied. He then let go of Mac's face and exited the small candle lit room. Mac watched him shut the door behind him, and then the minutes began to drift by slowly. The only thing that Mac could think about was The Hidden Leaf Village. He thought about all the people he'd met since he arrived there and everything that had happened. Then his mind drifted over to The Hidden Waterfall Village, although he hated everyone there, he began wondering if revenge was really the best option. However before he could give it to much thought, the door to the small candle lit room was opened. Mac quickly took notice that it was the same girl from earlier. She walked over to him silently and then knelt down in front of him. "Open your mouth" she exclaimed. With no other option Mac did as he was told and slowly forced his mouth open. The young woman in front of him placed the pill on his tongue, and then held up the clear glass cup up to his lips. "Drink it" she exclaimed as she slightly tilted the cup upward and let some of the water spill into his mouth. "I'm not gonna carry you to the bed, so whenever you're feeling up to it lay down on the floor" she exclaimed and then proceeded to exit the room. The last thing Mac heard was the sound of a lock twisting, which he guessed was the sound of Orochimaru locking the door from the other side. After that his eyes shut themselves and he drifted off to sleep.

He awoke much later in the room where he normally met with The Nine Tailed Fox. However he didn't bother to stand up, instead he just lay in the water staring up at the ceiling. The sound of the demon fox's heavy breathing echoed throughout the room. Then after a few minutes the boy finally spoke, and broke the silence between them. "Hey Nine Tails?" Even though the fox heard the boy clear as day, he choose to ignore him. "It's okay if you don't want to talk. I just wanted to say thank you, for lending me your power during the fight with Kyomi" Mac exclaimed. "Hmph, don't thank me boy, I didn't do it to save you. I simply did it because I didn't want to die" The Nine Tailed Fox replied. "I figured you would say that" Mac exclaimed with a slight smirk. "Tell me something Mac, What do you plan to do after you get your revenge?" the demon fox exclaimed in a questioning tone. "If I were being honest I don't know. But if I had to choose something, I guess I would try to find out who my birth parents were" Mac replied. "Mac, do you ever plan on releasing me from this cage?" The Nine Tailed Fox questioned. "I don't like having you sealed inside of me, just as much as you don't like being sealed inside of me. So I guess the answer is yes" Mac replied. "I hope your answer doesn't change when you learn the truth" The Nine Tailed Fox replied. Mac didn't really understand what the demon fox's words meant, but before he could question him everything faded out. Within a few seconds he found himself on the floor in the small candle lit room. (What did he mean by that?) Mac thought to himself as he picked himself up off the floor.

Before he could give it a second thought, the door to the room opened, and in stepped Orochimaru. "Well, I see you're feeling better" he exclaimed. "Cut the crap Orochimaru, and just tell me what this little favor of yours is" Mac replied. "It's nothing to difficult really, I just want you to kill the Third Hokage" Orochimaru replied. "Are you insane!?" Mac blurted out in a sudden and frantic questioning tone. His reaction only caused Orochimaru to burst out into a mild laugh. "Oh I do apologize but your reaction was quite amusing" he exclaimed. "You call that a small favor?" Mac questioned. "I don't expect you to kill him over night. Besides currently he is a lot stronger than you, which is why I'm going to personally train you" Orochimaru replied. "So what'll happen if I say no" Mac questioned. "Well then I won't supply you with medicine, and you'll die within a week's time" Orochimaru replied. "So basically what you're saying is it's either my life or his" Mac exclaimed. "Not necessarily, should you refuse to kill him, then I would be forced to just do it myself" Orochimaru replied. "Basically what you're saying is either I kill him, or we both die" Mac exclaimed. "Try not to look so glum Mac. After all if you kill him then you'll be avenging your mother" Orochimaru replied with a smirk. "Don't talk about my mother you sick bastard" Mac replied. "I take it you don't know the truth then" Orochimaru replied. "What the hell are you talking about?" Mac questioned. "Oh nothing really, I was just referring to the night that the Third Hokage sent your mother to her death" Orochimaru replied. Mac balled up his fist as he heard Orochimaru's words. "Are you trying to tell me that the reason I grew up an orphan, that the reason my life has been a complete nightmare, is because of that slimy son of a bitch" Mac exclaimed in anger. "That's exactly what I'm telling you, but you don't have to take my word for it. I'm sure the Nine Tails can tell you all the juicy details, I mean you're mother was his previous jinchuriki host" Orochimaru replied. "Tell me everything, right from the beginning. After that I want to confirm it with the Nine Tails. And if what you're saying is true, then I'm going to rip that bastards head right off of his shoulders, and anyone who tries to stop me will suffer the same fate as him" Mac exclaimed. "Well then why don't you have a seat, it's a long story" Orochimaru replied. Mac did as he was instructed and sat down on the bed, he then watched as Orochimaru sat down on a small wooden chair across from him. (If Orochimaru's story turns out to be true, and the Third Hokage really did play a part in my mother's death. Then The Hidden Leaf better prepare itself because I won't hesitate to cut down anyone who stands in my way) Mac thought to himself as he locked eyes with Orochimaru and prepared himself to listen to his story.


End file.
